After reaching an agreement to sign forward Enrique Freeman to a two-way contract, the Timberwolves are expected to waive center Jesse Edwards from his own two-way deal, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Wolves don’t need to cut Edwards in order to make room on the roster for Freeman, so it’s not clear if the move will happen right away or later in the offseason. But after Minnesota added a pair of rookie big men in Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky in this year’s draft, Edwards no longer appears to be in the team’s plans going forward, as Krawczynski explains.
Waiving Edwards would also create a two-way opening for Tristen Newton, a 2024 second-round pick who still has a qualifying offer on the table from the Wolves. Zikarsky and Freeman will occupy the club’s other two-way slots.
A Dutch-born seven-footer who played his college ball at Syracuse and West Virginia, Edwards joined the Timberwolves on a two-way deal last July after going undrafted. The 25-year-old appeared in just two NBA games, but played a major role for the Iowa Wolves in the G League, averaging 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game across 34 total outings.
Edwards was tendered a two-way qualifying offer in June and accepted it almost immediately. By signing that QO, he secured a partial guarantee worth $85,300, which won’t count against Minnesota’s cap.