The Minnesota Timberwolves will open their 2025-26 NBA regular season with a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.
Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, they could be without their franchise superstar for this season-opening contest.
On Tuesday evening, the team updated the injury status of All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards, listing him as questionable to take the court with back spasms.
The absence of Edwards would completely change the complexion of Wednesday night’s season-opening matchup. Through 79 games in the Timberwolves’ 2024-25 regular season, the former No. 1 overall pick averaged a career-high 27.6 points per game on 44.7% shooting from the field and 39.5% shooting from behind the 3-point arc.
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If Edwards is unable to take the court on Wednesday night, backup shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo will likely be inserted into head coach Chris Finch’s starting lineup alongside Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. DiVincenzo (rest) sat out for Friday’s preseason finale against the Philadelphia 76ers, but has since been cleared for action.
Second-year shooting guard Terrence Shannon Jr. could also hear his name called if Edwards is unable to play.
Edwards and the Timberwolves made it to the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons, ultimately getting bounced by the Dallas Mavericks in 2023-24 and the eventual-champion Oklahoma City Thunder in 2024-25.
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Minnesota will need its superstar player at full strength if they want to make another deep playoff run this season.
“We ain’t going to get to the finals without going through Luka [Doncic] or Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander],” Edwards said in a recent interview with The Athletic. “I just gotta keep getting better. That’s the main thing.”
Wednesday night’s season-opening matchup against the Trail Blazers will tipoff at 10 p.m. ET.
