Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards may be putting his franchise on the map, but that isn't stopping fellow NBA players from encouraging him to get out. Recently, Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley revealed his opinion on Edwards' rising profile and how it relates to his future in Minnesota.
Beverley stopped by the Gils Arena Show podcast with NBA legend Gilbert Arenas, and his thoughts on Anthony Edwards will not make Timberwolves fans happy.
“He will get out of Minnesota. That's just what happens,” said Beverley. “That's no disrespect to Minny. With that personality, he can change the world with basketball. He is the type of player that you need to see.”
With this quote, Patrick Beverley would appear to be referencing the fact that Minnesota is not a huge market when compared to some of its NBA counterparts.
It's true that the Timberwolves don't exactly have a great track record of keeping their star players. Both Kevin Garnett and Kevin Love eventually grew disgruntled not far into their Minnesota tenures and were traded. The same could be said about Jimmy Butler.
Still, the true barometer for whether or not a player will be happy is (usually) not market size, but team success. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, arguably the best two players in the game today, both committed to and won championships with small-market teams over the last few years.
The best way for Minnesota to ensure Edward's commitment is to build a winning team around him. As Edwards continues to flourish, the franchise will have to convince him that greener pastures do not exist.