The Minnesota Timberwolves are set to face the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, but the bigger story heading into the matchup involves Anthony Edwards and his availability.

The Timberwolves arrived at Little Caesars Arena with a 46-29 record after knocking off the Dallas Mavericks on the road, but concerns about their star guard took center stage.

Edwards has been dealing with right knee soreness for a stretch now, and the uncertainty around his status grew as game time approached. He’s been a force this season with averages of 29.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists through 59 appearances, but the team wasn’t about to take unnecessary risks.

Knee injury costs Anthony Edwards All-NBA eligibility

Head coach Chris Finch had initially planned to make a final call after watching Edwards go through pregame warmups. That evaluation got cut short.

The Timberwolves officially ruled Edwards out against the Pistons due to a combination of knee pain and an illness. Minnesota is taking the cautious route to prevent any further setbacks.

The absence carries weight beyond just Thursday’s game, per ESPN, though. Edwards now falls short of the appearance threshold needed to qualify for end-of-season awards like All-NBA and MVP.