Is Anthony Edwards on a minutes restriction? Timberwolves injury return comes with big question

ASFN Admin · May 4, 2026

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Is Anthony Edwards on a minutes restriction? Timberwolves injury return comes with big question originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Minnesota Timberwolves get Anthony Edwards back on the court Monday night, probably.

He'll have to feel fine during his pregame warmups, but the indication from multiple reports is that Edwards is returning from his left knee injury to play in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs.

It was expected to be a multi-week absence, but instead, Edwards returns after just nine days away.

That's huge news, of course. But could Edwards be at full throttle after his absence? That's harder to know.

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Is Anthony Edwards on a minutes restriction?

There's no official verdict on a minutes restriction, but some kind of limitation seems likely for Edwards.

This is what The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski posted on X on Monday afternoon:

"Anthony Edwards IS planning to play tonight in Game 1. The exact role is still being discussed, but he's ready to give it a go."

That second sentence suggests that Edwards won't be given quite the usual playing time he gets, but it could also be something that they feel out as the game goes along.

It's a tricky spot for Minnesota, which obviously wants to get off to a good start in the series but also has the best chance of winning if Edwards is still healthy later in the series and deeper into the postseason than if he goes all out in Game 1 and gets hurt again.

Any Edwards is better than no Edwards, but you'd expect there to still be some caution at this point.

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Is Anthony Edwards on a minutes restriction? Timberwolves injury return comes with big question

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