Countdown to renewal? Edwards’ contract, is it worth it or not?

NBA officially announced the 2024-25 All-Shirts, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was selected for the second team. This honor is not only a recognition of his performance this season, but also a direct contact with the "start button" of the super maximum salary clause.

If he enters the All-A-Series next season, he will sign a four-year, historical contract of $360 million in 2027, with an average annual salary of $90 million, setting a new NBA record.

This season's regular season, Edwards played 79 games, averaging 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and averaged 4.1 three-pointers with a three-point shooting percentage of 39.5%, ranking among the top scorers in the league. Entering the playoffs, he went to the next level:

averaging 26.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 36.1% three-point shooting percentage, averaged 3.3 three-point shooting per game, led the team to beat the Lakers and Warriors in the first round + second round, becoming the core engine for the Timberwolves to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

According to analysis by salary expert Yossi Gozlan, if Edwards is selected for the Best Team again in the 2025-26 season, he can trigger the "specified rookie clause" and is eligible to sign a four-year, $360 million early contract renewal.

Considering that he is only 23 years old, has a stable attendance rate (played more than 70 games in five consecutive seasons), and is in a period of rapid growth, this condition is almost a foregone conclusion. The contract he is currently executing is US$245 million in five years, and his salary will rise to US$55.67 million in the next four years, which can be called a "walking money printing machine."

However, despite his outstanding performance, Edwards could not stop the team from losing to the West Finals. In the two games of the West Finals, the Timberwolves lost 41 points, which was completely different from the first round and the semi-finals. Huazi averaged only 24 points per game, far lower than the average of the playoffs, and he seemed unsatisfied in the face of the Thunder's trickle strategy.

The Timberwolves are currently behind 0-2 in a big score, which is in danger. The next two home games will be crucial. Once one of them is lost, it will be not far from the team being eliminated.

In the next Western Conference Final G3, is Edwards turning the tide or is the Thunder locking in the finals ahead of schedule? The answer is about to be revealed.