Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has blossomed into one of the best players in the league.
Edwards has led the Timberwolves to the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. After back-to-back first-round exits in 2022 and 2023, Minnesota reached the Western Conference finals the last two years. The Wolves lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games in 2024 and to the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games last season.
Edwards, who averaged 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game last season, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Having now spent five seasons in Minnesota, he has clearly seen plenty of roster turnover.
Anthony Edwards Wishes He Were Playing With This Lakers Forward
Edwards was asked about which former teammates he misses most, and he mentioned Jarred Vanderbilt, who is now with the Lakers as part of the second Russell Westbrook trade Los Angeles executed, and Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie.
“Both of them (I miss) just as much,” Edwards said. “I can’t say that I miss them on the court, but they are my brothers, so I miss those guys. I wish they would come back.”
Anthony Edwards on which teammates he misses the most
“Jared Vanderbilt and Josh Okogee… both of them just as much… they are my brothers, so I miss those guys, I wish they would come back and play with” pic.twitter.com/eyzzXjvL74
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) September 29, 2025
Vanderbilt seemingly liked the sentiment himself, tweeting back: “my dawg.”
My dawg😂 https://t.co/ZF4egMjfVw
— Jarred Vanderbilt (@JVando) September 29, 2025
Vanderbilt is now a Laker, and Okogie signed a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets this summer. That has led to speculation that Edwards might want to join the Lakers — a common rumor whenever a superstar mentions playing with a current Laker — even though Edwards said he’d rather see his friends return to Minnesota than leave himself.
The two are close friends. Vanderbilt played with Edwards for his first three seasons before being traded to the Utah Jazz in the deal that brought three-time All-Star center Rudy Gobert to Minnesota. Just before the 2023 trade deadline, Vanderbilt was traded again, this time to the Lakers, in a deal that also involved the Timberwolves. He signed a four-year extension before the 2023-24 season.
The pair also had a brief altercation earlier this year. Back in February, they exchanged words that escalated to shoving. Both were separated and assessed technical fouls.
Vanderbilt has struggled with injuries, including surgeries on both feet and a knee issue. Edwards called him out at one point, saying, “You’ve been hurt for 2 years n***a.” Later in the season, when the Lakers and Timberwolves faced off again, lingering frustration likely contributed to the altercation.
Although Edwards has not indicated he wants to leave Minnesota, any time a player of his caliber is mentioned alongside the Lakers, it sparks conversation.
