Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards out with knee inflammation, timeline unclear

The Timberwolves will be without Anthony Edwards for now. How long remains the question.

Edwards was ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Suns with right knee soreness, and an MRI revealed inflammation in the knee, the team announced. He’ll be reevaluated in one to two weeks, with further updates to follow.

That timeline offers some guidance, but not much certainty. Even in a best-case scenario, Edwards appears likely to miss multiple games, including matchups against the Jazz, Trail Blazers and Celtics over the next several days.

And for Minnesota, this comes at a tricky time.

Edwards is in the middle of a career season, averaging 29.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting just under 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three. He’s been central to everything the Wolves do offensively.

There’s also the bigger picture. Edwards has played in 58 games, though one won’t count toward the 65-game minimum after an early exit. That leaves little margin if he hopes to remain eligible for All-NBA honors, where he’s been trending toward a first-team spot.

Meanwhile, the standings are tight.

Minnesota entered Tuesday at 41-27, sitting sixth in the West but within a half-game of fourth and just two games clear of seventh. In other words, there’s not much room to breathe.

The Wolves will take the cautious route, as they should.

But they may need Edwards back sooner rather than later if they want to stay out of the play-in and hold their ground in a crowded race.