This summer, the names being associated as top threats to the OKC Thunder in their repeat pursuit are the likes of Kevin Durant and the Rockets, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, and, to some, Cooper Flagg and the Mavs.
However, shockingly lost in the hype surrounding these aforementioned foes are Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.
Despite being the West's runner-up in each of the last two seasons, Minnesota has seemingly been tossed by the wayside heading into 2025-26. The oddsmakers even gave them just the sixth-highest odds to win the NBA Finals in their own conference, stationed behind the polarizing Lakers and currently crumbling Clippers.
Unfortunately for the pollsters, and potentially for the Thunder, Edwards has been far from satisfied with merely making it to consecutive conference finals appearances.
In fact, just recently, The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski revealed that the T-Wolves superstar has been working hard outside of the spotlight on taking another step this summer. Interestingly enough, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and co. are one of the main driving forces in these efforts.
Loss to Thunder sparked desire for Anthony Edwards to take 'big step'
According to the NBA insider, Edwards "has been off of the social media grid and working on his game" this offseason.
A major influence on his decision to grind ahead of year six of his career was Minnesota's five-game demise against Oklahoma City in round three of the 2025 postseason, with Krawczynski noting that he was "pretty forthright after the loss to the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals that he’s still got a big step to make to get to the level of a Shai, or a Luka.”
What's imperative to understand is the fact that, as things currently stand, Edwards is unequivocally a top-10 player in the association as is.
At just 24 years old, the two guard is a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selectee, and has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice throughout his five years of action.
2024-25 proved to be his best year yet in the association, as he dropped a career-high 27.6 points per game to go along with 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals on a career-best 39.5 percent shooting from deep.
All throughout this past campaign, debates were regularly being held about who, between Edwards and Gilgeous-Alexander, is most deserving of being crowned the next face of the NBA.
While Shai may have managed to sway a ton of people in his direction when talking about such a topic following his regular season MVP, Finals MVP, and NBA Championship win in 2025, as we approach 2025-26, it seems Ant has a newfound drive to once again thrust himself back into the same conversation as the Thunder centerpiece.