Anthony Edwards Played Key Role in Jonathan Kuminga Choosing Timberwolves Over Lakers, Says Agent

In late August, the Minnesota Timberwolves signed 2022 NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga. That came as a shocker, considering how many expected Kuminga to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were trying to recruit him as their starting forward. However, the deal fell apart for two reasons.

Firstly, Wolves star Anthony Edwards played a huge role in convincing Kuminga to go to Minnesota. In an interview with sports reporter Kevin O'Connor, Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, revealed that Edwards simply told Kuminga to be himself.

"Ant was a massive part of this whole thing," said Turner. "... The pitch was, ‘Hey JK, we want you to come here and be the guy that we had to play against in the playoffs. Like, we want that dude. Like, we’re not asking you to go be something else. We’re asking you to be yourself.'"

Turner also responded to critics who felt Kuminga would have an uphill task at Minnesota to adapt to their playstyle.

"But this whole thing of like, oh, he has to adapt. No," Turner added on the podcast. "Ant, who is as unselfish of a star as you could imagine and super secure with who he is, his whole thing was, look, ‘I want you to come here, and I want you to do everything you do and do it loudly. I feel where you’re coming from. I can understand what you’ve dealt with through these parts of your career, and I want you to come in here and be Jonathan Kuminga.'"

Kuminga's arrival in Minnesota is very timely, especially after the Timberwolves also brought in LaMelo Ball to pair him up with Edwards. The Congolese star signed a two-year deal worth $12.4 million. That's significantly less than what the Lakers offered him initially.

According to reports, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka offered Kuminga a three-year deal worth approximately $36 million. However, Turner revealed on FanDuel's "Run it Back" last week that he couldn't fathom that the Lakers wanted to lock down a star starter for only $12 million a year, which "is pretty decently below the midlevel."

But then Kuminga signed an even lower, two-year, $12.4 million deal with Minnesota, leading to serious questions. However, Anthony Edwards' involvement could be considered to be the decisive factor.

NBA Insider Reveals How Anthony Edwards Feels About the Timberwolves Offseason

It's been six years since Anthony Edwards was drafted to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Looking at his contract, he has three years remaining in his five-year deal that goes until 2029.

However, there is a possibility that Edwards could stay beyond 2029, especially after how the Timberwolves have executed their offseason. According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, Edwards is happy with the results of Minnesota's summer and more than satisfied with his team.

"Ant is very pleased with the Wolves' offseason," Windhorst said on his show. "Going to get LaMelo (Ball), making this deal happen for (Jonathan) Kuminga. If (Edwards') extension was now, maybe he would be excited about this enough to sign it; maybe he thinks that LaMelo is going to be a perfect fit."

Keeping your star happy is one of the most important things a team could do to convince them to stick around. If the formation of the new Timberwolves team, including LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, results in a championship in the next couple of years, we could assume that Edwards extending his contract might just be guaranteed.