New Anthony Edwards Injury Update, Latest Rumors on Wolves Star's Status and Return Timeline

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is nearing a return from his injury

The Timberwolves announced Friday that Edwards has been cleared for "on-court basketball practice activities."

On Wednesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Edwards, who has missed the last five games due to right knee inflammation, is considered day-to-day and could be back for Saturday's game against Detroit or Monday's game against Houston.

"What he's been dealing with, to my understanding, is really soreness, fluid some inflammation in his knee," Charania said. "He needed treatment to get some of the fluid out of that knee, but now he is progressing, he's starting to do more and more on the court. All parties involved here are optimistic that he's trending in the right direction over the next several days."

Head coach Chris Finch offered a minor update on Edwards on Tuesday, telling reporters that Edwards is still on his own "return to play protocols."

The Timberwolves are obviously in a much better position with their star player on the floor. The 24-year-old is putting up 29.5 points per game, the third-best mark in the league, while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from deep.

Luckily for Minnesota, it hasn't struggled too much without Edwards over the last four games. The Timberwolves picked up wins Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics while dropping a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The success during that stretch is due in large part to players like Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland stepping up. Dosunmu has put up 19 points per game over the last four games, while Hyland has averaged 20 points per game. Unfortunately for Minnesota, Dosunmu was ruled out of Wednesday night's contest against the Houston Rockets because of right calf soreness.

The hope for the Timberwolves is that role players can continue to elevate their game even when Edwards is back in the mix.

Minnesota is 10-5 on the season when Edwards is absent from the lineup.

The next few weeks will be pivotal for the Timberwolves as they continue to fight for playoff positioning. They're currently in fifth place in the West but are just five games ahead of the seventh-placed Phoenix Suns, so they need to stay consistent to avoid a play-in appearance.

Getting Edwards back in the lineup would certainly help.