Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will be missing Thursday night's game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, which means his team will be without its best player against the top team in the Eastern Conference.
Another important note regarding Edwards' absence is that he'll no longer be eligible for the NBA Most Valuable Player award or selection to an All-NBA team in the 2025-26 campaign, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
“Anthony Edwards played only 3 minutes against Indiana in the third game of his season, which means he can only finish with 64 eligible games for awards. Sitting out tonight means Edwards WILL NOT QUALIFY for MVP or All-NBA status,” wrote Siegel in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.
Edwards has been ruled out for the Pistons game due to a knee issue and an illness, the team announced on social media.
The former Georgia Bulldogs star is having yet another incredible season with the Timberwolves. In the 59 games he has played so far this campaign, Edwards has put up averages of 29.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals, while showing marked improvement in his efficiency on offense. He is shooting career-highs of 49.3 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from behind the arc.
Without Edwards, the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves are likely to give veteran guard Mike Conley Jr. a spot on the starting unit, while Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland can be expected to see increased opportunities on offense.
The Timberwolves enter the Detroit game sixth in the Western Conference standings with a 46-29 record.
