Karl-Anthony Towns had just helped the New York Knicks move on, but he still had Anthony Edwards’ injury on his mind.

After the Knicks’ 140-89 Game 6 win over the Atlanta Hawks on April 30, Towns sent a brief public message to his former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate: “Shoutout to Ant man, get better man, love,” according to a video shared by ClutchPoints.

The timing made the message more meaningful. Towns is headed to the second round with New York, while Edwards is trying to recover from a left knee injury that has changed the shape of the Timberwolves’ first-round series against the Denver Nuggets.

Edwards has already been ruled out for Game 6 against Denver, with Minnesota holding a 3-2 series lead entering the April 30 matchup in Minneapolis. Donte DiVincenzo is also out, and Ayo Dosunmu joined them with out statuses.

Anthony Edwards Injury: Is he Playing?

Edwards is not playing in Game 6 against the Nuggets.

The Timberwolves star suffered the injury in Game 4, when he landed awkwardly while trying to contest a shot. Edwards immediately grabbed his knee, needed help leaving the floor and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

The injury came during a brutal night for Minnesota’s backcourt. DiVincenzo suffered a torn right Achilles in the same game, leaving the Timberwolves without two of their most important perimeter players. Minnesota still won Game 4, but the injuries have made the closeout path far more complicated.

That is why Towns’ message did not land like a routine shoutout. Towns and Edwards were central pieces of the Timberwolves’ rise before Towns moved to New York, and Edwards became the face of Minnesota’s next chapter. Seeing Towns acknowledge him after a Knicks clincher tied together two postseason stories: New York’s breakthrough and Minnesota’s sudden injury test.

The Timberwolves are still in position to eliminate Denver, but doing it without Edwards changes almost everything. Edwards led Minnesota with 28.8 points per game during the regular season, according to Reuters, and had averaged 23 points through the first three games of the Nuggets series before the injury.

Without him, Minnesota loses its best downhill scorer, late-clock creator and most explosive transition threat. The Nuggets can load up differently, and the Timberwolves need more from Dosunmu, Mike Conley, Julius Randle and their frontcourt to survive the final stretch of the series.

When Will Anthony Edwards Return?

The Timberwolves have not given Edwards a firm return date.

The most encouraging part of the initial diagnosis was that Edwards avoided ligament damage. The Associated Press reported that an MRI confirmed no structural damage, but Edwards was still expected to miss at least a week because of a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Edwards was expected to miss multiple weeks with the injury, which would put his availability in doubt beyond the Nuggets series if Minnesota advances.

That creates a difficult balance for the Timberwolves. A bone bruise is not a minor issue for a player whose game depends so heavily on burst, lift and violent changes of direction. Even if Edwards avoids the worst-case scenario, Minnesota has to weigh the urgency of the playoffs against the risk of bringing him back before he can move like himself.

For now, the immediate question is whether the Timberwolves can finish the Nuggets without him.

Minnesota had a 3-1 series lead after Game 4, but Denver kept the series alive to force Game 6. Reuters reported that Edwards and DiVincenzo were both ruled out for the April 30 game, while Bones Hyland was available despite knee soreness.

Towns is now watching that situation from a different conference and a different uniform. His Knicks are moving forward after a blowout win over Atlanta, while Edwards’ Timberwolves are trying to protect a series lead through a wave of injuries.

That made the message simple, but not empty.

Towns did not offer an update, a prediction or a long speech. He sent support to a former teammate at a moment when Edwards’ health may define Minnesota’s postseason.

For Timberwolves fans, the next update that matters is not whether Edwards wants to play. It is when his knee will let him.