Anthony Edwards is sending a clear message to the Wolves amid Mike Conley reunion buzz

Anthony Edwards is almost 14 years younger than Mike Conley. Ant-Man had been teammates with the Minnesota Timberwolves since early February 2023 and developed an affinity for the now 19-year-old veteran, even giving him the nickname Bite Bite.

When Conley was traded to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, it certainly seemed like his tenure with the Timberwolves was officially over. Except this may not be the case. Conley was traded again on Wednesday, this time to the Charlotte Hornets, a team that may buy him out. In doing so, it essentially opened up the possibility of the 38-year-old returning to Minnesota, and that’s something Edwards and many of his teammates hope to see.

The possibility of Conley returning already seemed likely, but with Ant’s public comments after the match, it could be a certainty.

Conley’s return to Minnesota is a possibility

The Timberwolves earned a nice win over the Raptors on Wednesday, which is their final game before Thursday’s trade deadline. The possibility remains that Minnesota will have a different roster in Friday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. It also remains possible that one of their teammates will return after a short leave.

Conley is a beloved teammate even in the down 2025-2026 season for the 2021 All-Star. It was somewhat surprising to see him dealt, even if the trade helped Minnesota get under the first apron because Chris Finch continued to play him even when a portion of the fanbase didn’t believe he should be in the rotation anymore.

Normally, once a team trades a player, they cannot return to the team that dealt him for an entire year. In the 2016 offseason, the Golden State Warriors shipped Bogut to the Dallas Mavericks. About 7.5 months later, he was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers. It was ruled that if Bogut was acquired by Philadelphia, he would be eligible to return to Golden State. The 2005 first overall pick was bought out, but signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers instead.

That rarely seen rule has now gone into effect with Conley, who is expected to be bought out by a Hornets team that already has plenty of defensive players. If that happens, and he clears waivers (which was expected), no one should be surprised if Conley returns to Minnesota.

You can debate whether the Timberwolves should bring him back, but if your franchise player wants him back then that’s probably the right thing to do. Whether he remains in the rotation, as he did all year leading up to the trade, will likely depend on whether Minnesota makes bench-strengthening moves before the deadline.