T-wolves' Anthony Edwards needs procedure on right knee, will miss several weeks, AP source says

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T-wolves' Anthony Edwards needs procedure on right knee, will miss several weeks, AP source says

2026-10-28 08:30 Last Updated At：08:40

Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards needs an arthroscopic procedure to alleviate issues with his right knee and will miss several weeks, a person with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Timberwolves had yet to make any public announcements of Edwards’ plan to have the operation. A more precise timetable for Edwards' return will be known after surgery, the person said.

Edwards had been listed on recent injury reports with a right knee issue. Periodic knee pain has dogged him for some time, though the specifics of the current problem were not clear. The Timberwolves had listed him as questionable for their game against Golden State on Wednesday, before the decision was evidently made to go forward with the surgery.

Edwards was off to a flying start this season, averaging 33.3 points and leading Minnesota to three wins in its first four games. He scored 45 points in the season-opening win at Miami, then had 47 points in a loss to Cleveland on Monday night. His 133 points through the first four games is a Timberwolves record, breaking the old mark of 120 — set by him two seasons ago.

But there were some signs that all was not right. Edwards had a two-handed transition dunk late in the first half of Minnesota's win over Toronto on Sunday, seemed to head down to the defensive end very gingerly after that play, then spent the next Timberwolves offensive possession standing in the right corner and squeezing his knee for a few seconds.

If he is out for two months, that would mean he remains sidelined until around Christmas — when Minnesota plays an Oklahoma City team that also has major injury concerns. The Thunder lost Jalen Williams (leg, ankle) and Cason Wallace (shoulder) earlier this week; both will have surgery that could be season-ending.

A two-month absence would also sideline Edwards for around 25 games, meaning he would again fall short of the NBA's 65-game threshold for end-of-season awards like the All-NBA team and MVP.

Edwards was limited to 61 games last season, mostly because of knee-related issues. It was the first season in which he missed any significant time; Edwards missed 19 out of a possible 400 games in his first five NBA seasons.

The four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA pick and member of the 2024 U.S. Olympic team that won gold at the Paris Games has averaged 24.6 points in his career. Since Edwards entered the league, only the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Miami’s Giannis Antetokounmpo have scored more points than the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft.

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Voters rebuke Netanyahu but exit polls suggest no clear winner in Israel's election

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli voters delivered a rebuke Tuesday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with exit polls indicating voters gave his opponents a solid majority in the next parliament. Whether those disparate parties can form a government is uncertain and will likely take weeks of haggling.

The easiest path would involve Netanyahu's main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, partnering with Arab-led parties, but that could prove politically difficult and potentially alienate other opposition factions.

Exit polls released early Wednesday by major Israeli TV stations suggested that Netanyahu’s bloc and Eisenkot's each won about 51 seats, and Arab parties won about 18. That would set the stage for weeks of political jockeying before a prime minister is declared — or another round of elections is called.

Eisenkot said the exit polls show a “lack of confidence” in Netanyahu and he vowed to form a new government. Arab voters celebrated the exit polls while supporters of far-right parties aligned with Netanyahu expressed disappointment.

Netanyahu had yet to make a public statement early Wednesday, hours after the exit polls were released.

Like all surveys, exit polls are subject to potential error. Preliminary results are expected in the coming hours. Final results are expected in the coming days and may vary from the exit polls.

An inconclusive result would leave Israel in political limbo after the country’s first national election since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

The race was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s nearly unbroken 17-year rule, which had left Israelis bitterly divided on a host of issues even before the deadliest attack in the country's history. The resulting wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, along with settler violence in the occupied West Bank, have stoked worldwide outrage, straining ties with Israel’s closest allies and fueling a rise in antisemitism.

Among Israelis, the election was broadly viewed as a struggle over the character of the state, pitting Netanyahu and his ultranationalist and religious allies against those seeking to preserve its liberal and secular foundations. The opposition may soon have to grapple with the social divisions — between right and left, and between Jews and Arabs — that have widened during Netanyahu's long and polarizing rule.

Voter turnout was the highest since 1999, with more than 77% of eligible voters casting ballots, according to the Central Elections Committee. Over 7 million people were eligible to vote, and tens of thousands reportedly arrived from overseas.

Israel’s president will be tasked with asking the party leader with the best prospect of forming a government, usually one with the most seats, to cobble together a coalition. If Netanyahu's right-wing Likud emerges as the largest party, he could claim that right.

Meanwhile, there will be heavy pressure on Eisenkot to reach a deal with the Arab parties, while Netanyahu and his allies are likely to cast any such alliance as illegitimate and even treasonous.

Netanyahu had warned earlier that Arab parties could make or break the election, saying they were receiving “truly massive support” and heading to the polls in “unprecedented numbers.”

If no one can cobble together a majority coalition, new elections could be held early next year. Israel held five elections between April 2019 and November 2022 because of a similar stalemate.

No single party has ever won an outright majority in the country’s 120-seat parliament, forcing political leaders to forge coalitions. Minority governments are also possible, but they must rely on support or cooperation from parties outside the government to pass legislation.

Netanyahu’s current coalition peaked at 68 members before it began to disintegrate over the past year.

As the exit polls were broadcast, supporters at Eisenkot's party headquarters jumped for joy, chanting his name.

In a speech early Wednesday that focused on national unity, he pledged to form a government and promised “a new era — an era of hope” for Israelis.

“Today, Israel went out to a referendum over the leadership that will lead Israel in the coming years,” Eisenkot said to cheers from supporters. “The people decided in favor of change.”

Eisenkot warned Netanyahu not to “dare use Israel's security for your political needs” while he is a caretaker prime minister, an apparent reference to reports that the Israeli leader considered an attack against Iran in the sensitive days leading up the election.

At Netanyahu's party headquarters, filled mainly with media, the few supporters present chanted Netanyahu's name, draping themselves in flags with his face on them and kissing posters.

Netanyahu’s supporters see him as a steady hand and a consummate statesman who has led Israel through a war of redemption after the country’s darkest hour. They think he is protecting Israel’s security and Jewish identity in the face of international pressure and liberal elites at home.

His detractors see him as a polarizing leader who, beset by an ongoing corruption trial, dragged out the war in Gaza and its hostage crisis for political reasons. They say he is undermining Israel’s independent judiciary and weakening its democratic underpinnings. And they accuse him of abetting the system that has allowed ultra-Orthodox religious Jews to avoid military conscription.

“The present government is driving the country into the ground,” voter Angela Bengur said in Jerusalem.

Eisenkot is viewed by supporters as a capable leader with sterling security credentials who, along with his likely governing partners, could act as a bulwark against creeping illiberalism. As someone personally touched by the conflict — his son and two nephews were killed in Gaza — his backers believe that he feels deeply the pain that still courses through Israel.

Parties that likely would support Eisenkot have vowed to improve Israel’s international standing and work to conscript ultra-Orthodox men while bolstering the independence of the judiciary.

The elections are about “who serves and who evades service — who takes an active part in building this country and who doesn’t,” said voter Nisso Shitrit in Tel Aviv's Jaffa neighborhood.

The election is Israel's first national vote since the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war in Gaza and related conflicts. In Tel Aviv, families of some killed on Oct. 7 or former hostages held a moment of silence during the vote.

“Remember all those whose voices are no more,” said Yona Adam, whose daughter Mapal Adam was killed.

Israel has found itself increasingly isolated over its conduct in Gaza and the West Bank. Public support among Americans has plummeted, and partners in Europe and elsewhere have slapped sanctions on Israel. Netanyahu faces an international arrest warrant over alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza, allegations he denies.

Also hanging over the election were lingering tensions with Iran. Netanyahu ramped up threats ahead of the vote, warning Tehran it would face “a devastating blow” if it attacked Israel.

Associated Press writers across Israel contributed to this report.