As if dealing with a slump wasn’t enough, a concerning injury to a star player has sent shockwaves through the Minnesota Timberwolves camp.

The Timberwolves have lost four of their last five games. Their most recent defeat came against the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who stomped them 116-103. They are gearing up to bounce back tonight against the Phoenix Suns. However, Anthony Edwards will not take part in their upcoming games due to an unexpected injury.

ESPN’s Shams Charania has announced that the Timberwolves All-Star has suffered a knee injury, which will not only affect his availability for this game but will keep him on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. “Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards will be re-evaluated in 1 to 2 weeks due to right knee inflammation,” he wrote on X.

This, of course, is a huge setback for the Timberwolves because, going by this timeline, Edwards will miss at least four upcoming games. His earliest possible return could be next Wednesday in a crucial matchup against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. But that might be pushing it, as knee inflammation injuries could be a bit tricky to deal with.

A recovery within just one week seems unlikely. This could mean that the Timberwolves superstar could miss about the next seven games or so, making his return against Detroit on April 2. That could spell disaster for the storied franchise, which relies so heavily on the 24-year-old, which isn’t a surprise given his incredible stat line.

In the 58 games the guard has played this season, he’s averaged 29.5 points with an incredible 49/40/80 shooting splits. On a personal level, this is a massive blow for the young star. That’s because he still has to play seven more regular-season games in this season to be eligible for this year’s postseason honors.

As the team awaits further updates on Edwards‘ knee, another problem is brewing for the Timberwolves. According to former Celtics star Paul Pierce, the team’s issues run deeper than their current slump and require a fundamental roster change to finally get over the hump.

Paul Pierce gives his verdict on Minnesota’s playoff hopes this season

After failing to make the NBA Finals for two consecutive years, hopes were high for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. However, the road this season doesn’t seem to be easy, either. Anthony Edwards and Co. are currently sixth in the Western Conference with a 41-27 record, just two games ahead of the Suns team they’ll be facing tonight without their franchise cornerstone.

Amid their slump, former Boston Celtics superstar Paul Pierce believes that the only way out for them is to bring in a bona fide winner, someone who has tasted the success of winning an NBA championship.

“Not to say that Anthony Edwards is not a leader or Julius Randle. But I also think when you’re trying to win a championship, there has to be somebody in that locker room that everybody respects that’s been to the promised land, to help you,” he said during his recent appearance. “Like, for us, we had veterans Ray, KG, myself but we didn’t win a championship. Having James Posey in that locker room, who won a championship, was important for us.”

“And I think that’s the one piece they’re missing, a guy that’s been around the block, that’s like look guys it’s playoffs time and lock in and practice habits right now, a lot of little things,” he continued. “But with the teams jockeying for positions right now, if Minnesota doesn’t get the No. 3 seed. It’s gonna be a rough playoffs for them.”

Even though the Wolves do have a championship winner on their roster in Donte DiVincenzo, who struck gold with the Bucks in 2021, he barely played that season because of an injury. So, the franchise does need someone experienced to lead them from the front.