Recent Manila visitor Anthony Edwards is taking a one-step-at-a-time approach to winning a championship with the Minnesota Timberwolves, especially after the team’s busy offseason. And while the Wolves’ roster changed dramatically, nothing about Edwards’ demeanor and confidence did.
“Against those two teams [Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs], I think we’re going to beat them,” Edwards told ESPN during his trip to Manila.
Edwards’ confidence might be well placed. Last season, the Timberwolves went 2-2 against the Thunder in the regular season and 2-1 versus the Spurs. San Antonio got back at Minnesota in the Western Conference semifinals, where it won the series, 4-2, in a tense, highly competitive matchup.
Anthony Edwards Isn’t Rushing
The loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference semis was actually a step back for the Timberwolves, who had reached the conference finals in 2024 and 2025. That likely prompted Minnesota’s offseason retooling, where the team traded second-leading scorer Julius Randle and sixth man Naz Reid. The Wolves sent Randle to the Brooklyn Nets for a second-round pick and dealt Reid to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for LaMelo Ball and Josh Green.
Edwards, who averaged 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals last season, is well aware of the roster upheaval. That’s likely why he’s preaching patience in the pursuit of a championship.
“It would mean a lot [to win a championship]… But right now, I don’t think we’re thinking about winning the championship,” Edwards said. “It’s step by step. We got LaMelo, a new player, and a bunch of new pieces. So, we are just trying to build it together, and I think we’re trying to gel it all together.”
Ball is obviously the most notable of these new additions, and he figures to form a big, athletic, and dynamic backcourt with Edwards. Minnesota will also have emerging star Jaden McDaniels back, along with playoff revelation Ayo Dosunmu, four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, and the explosive Terrence Shannon Jr.
But at the center of it all is Anthony Edwards—and he is willing to take that championship road one step at a time.
