Anthony Edwards has watched the Minnesota Timberwolves strip away key pieces of his championship puzzle for three straight summers. The front office first moved on from Karl Anthony Towns in 2024, despite his seamless fit alongside Ant. Then, in 2025, it let Nickeil Alexander-Walker walk. Now, Minnesota has shipped Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets. With every offseason bringing another major change, the franchise faces a question it can no longer ignore. How long can it keep asking its superstar to stay patient? Stephen A. Smith sent a direct warning to the front office on First Take.

“I don’t know how he [Edwards] can be all good. I’m not saying this move, this particular move, is something he should have a problem with,” ESPN’s veteran analyst said. “But I think the Minnesota Timberwolves better be careful because if they don’t make the right moves, Anthony Edwards may ask out of there.”

Smith added, “I think that’s something that they have to be mindful of because if you’re him, you certainly are. It’s hurting watching others get the shine that you know your talent deserves because the brother’s all world. Make no mistake, and he is box office. So it is a problem that Minnesota is going to have to fix now.”

The 58-year-old further argued that while Randle’s résumé speaks for itself, his recurring body-language issues and desire to be the top option have hurt his standing. Over the last four seasons, the 31-year-old has averaged 22.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. However, his playoff struggles have often overshadowed those achievements. In fact, Smith claimed that some of his teammates on the New York Knicks doubted whether the team could win with him.

Therefore, “Minnesota was not hesitant to move beyond him, just like the Knicks were not hesitant to move beyond him,” Stephen A. added. “In the end, though, it comes down to Minnesota in this regard. You’ve got a superstar in Anthony Edwards. He is a superstar. Make no mistake about it.”

Since getting drafted No. 1 overall by the Timberwolves in 2020, Edwards has slowly but surely established himself as the main man on the Wolves. In 2025-26, he averaged 28.8 points per game, the third-highest mark in the league. And collectively, for a franchise that went to the playoffs just once in the previous 15 seasons, making regular postseason runs is a big improvement. But for how long can Edwards be satisfied with playing at a high level while falling short when it matters most?

In 2023, the Timberwolves lost in the first round and followed it up with two straight trips to the Western Conference Finals, only to lose to the Mavericks and the Thunder. In 2026, they were hoping to do better on that, only for them to be stopped by the Thunder once again, this time in the semi-finals.

Smith, who feels Edwards is not happy, asked: “What are you going to do to show Anthony Edwards that you can compete with San Antonio and you can compete with Oklahoma City?”

He wants to know where the upgrades will come from. The losses were gradual, but Towns (who went on to win a championship with the New York Knicks earlier this year), Alexander-Walker, and Randle have yet to be effectively replaced. Minnesota, however, believes it had other reasons for making those moves.

According to reports, the Wolves have paid $100 million in luxury tax over the last three years. That period has coincided with the franchise’s three best seasons in recent memory, including multiple playoff appearances. However, the front office is not focused on adding major new pieces. Instead, it is committing significant money to the players already on the roster, such as handing Ayo Dosunmu a $112 million contract after trading Randle.

Whether Minnesota’s moves ultimately pay off remains to be seen. But while the front office continues to reshape the roster around Edwards, the organization has also suffered another significant loss away from the court.

Anthony Edwards & Co. lose another piece to Portland

Following the Julius Randle trade, the Minnesota Timberwolves saw their lead assistant, Micah Nori, walk away. The Portland Trail Blazers have appointed the 52-year-old as the new head coach. Most importantly, Nori’s long wait finally paid off. After spending the last five seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the coach who entered the NBA benches in 2009 now gets his own team after 17 seasons as an assistant.

Along the way, Nori built experience with five franchises, including the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, and  Timberwolves. Meanwhile, his reputation for connecting with players and communicating clearly helped separate him from Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook and former Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter in the race for the job.

“He is elite in what I call the small pieces of the game,” Wolves head coach Chris Finch told The Athletic. “Small, not that they are unimportant, but small in that they are often overlooked. He’s elite with lineup combinations. Elite with rotations. Elite with special situations, whether it’s [after timeouts], end of game, or just understanding how to maximize possessions.”

So now, the Wolves have lost two important figures in a single day: Julius Randle and Micah Nori. Whether those departures ultimately help or hurt the franchise remains to be seen, but they only add to the questions surrounding Minnesota’s direction as it looks to keep Edwards convinced that a championship can still be built around him.