Mixed news for the Timberwolves: Edwards returns today, McDaniels diagnosed with patellar tendonitis and bone bruise

On March 31 Beijing time, the Minnesota Timberwolves officially announced that forward Jaden McDaniels has been placed on the day-to-day (weekly evaluation) list due to a left knee injury.

MRI results revealed that McDaniels has left knee patellar tendonitis accompanied by a bone bruise. He injured his knee late in Thursday's overtime win against the Houston Rockets and subsequently missed Sunday's game where the Timberwolves lost to the Detroit Pistons.

McDaniels has long been one of the Timberwolves' "iron men." Throughout his six-year NBA career, except for one season, he has played over 70 games each year. This season, he averages 14.8 points, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game, making him one of the team's top perimeter defenders.

This injury news arrives at an unfortunate time for the Timberwolves. The team is currently in a tight race for playoff positioning in the Western Conference, with only 8 games remaining in the regular season. The Timberwolves, who will face the Mavericks today, are tied with the Rockets for the 5th spot in the West and hold a 5-game lead over the 7th-place Suns.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves received some positive news: star Anthony Edwards' status has been upgraded to available, confirming his return in today's game against the Mavericks. Edwards has missed the past 6 games due to a right knee injury. To qualify for consideration for season-end awards like All-NBA team selections, Edwards needs to play today and not miss any of the remaining regular-season games.

The NBA playoffs first round begins on April 19.