 McDaniels withWashington in 2020 | |
| No. 3 – Minnesota Timberwolves | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward /power forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2000-09-29)September 29, 2000 (age 24) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Federal Way (Federal Way, Washington) |
| College | Washington (2019–2020) |
| NBA draft | 2020: 1st round, 28th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Playing career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2020–present | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Jaden McDaniels (born September 29, 2000) is an American professionalbasketball player for theMinnesota Timberwolves of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theWashington Huskies. He attendedFederal Way High School inFederal Way, Washington, where he was named aMcDonald's All-American and WashingtonGatorade Player of the Year as a senior. McDaniels was a five-starrecruit and one of the top players in the 2019 class. He is the younger brother of basketball playerJalen McDaniels.
McDaniels played basketball forFederal Way High School inFederal Way, Washington. As a freshman, he was teammates with his older brotherJalen and helped Federal Way win its second straight Class 4A state championship.[1] McDaniels averaged 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game on thevarsity team and was forced to shoot with his left hand due to a right elbow injury.[2] In his first two years, he helped his team win 63 consecutive games, the longest win streak in state history since 1977.[1]
As a junior, McDaniels guided Federal Way to a runner-up finish at the 4A state tournament.[3] In the season, he averaged 21.3 points, 10 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.3 blocks per game and earnedUSA Today All-USA Washington first team honors.[4] In May 2018, McDaniels saw breakout success at theNike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) with Seattle Rotary, bolstering his position as a top recruit in the 2019 class.[5][6]
On January 25, 2019, as a senior, he recorded 51 points againstTodd Beamer High School, breaking the school single-game scoring record held by NBA playerDonny Marshall.[7] McDaniels averaged 23.3 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks per game in his senior season, leading his team to third place at the 4A state tournament.[8] He earned Class 4A Player of the Year and WashingtonGatorade Player of the Year recognition.[9][10] McDaniels played in theMcDonald's All-American Game andJordan Brand Classic.[11][12]
By the end of his high-school career, McDaniels was considered a consensus five-star recruit and the bestpower forward in the 2019 class.[13]ESPN andRivals ranked him among the top 10 players in his class.[14][15] On May 22, 2019, McDaniels committed to play college basketball forWashington. He had also received strong interest fromKentucky during the recruiting process.[16]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaden McDaniels PF | Federal Way, WA | Federal Way (WA) | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | May 21, 2019 | |
Star ratings:Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 96 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals:7 247Sports:13 ESPN:7 | ||||||
Sources:
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Heading in to the college season, McDaniels was considered a possible number-one pick in the2020 NBA draft.[17] In his collegiate debut, a 67–64 upset ofBaylor, he had 18 points and seven rebounds.[18] He had a season-high 22 points againstBall State. As a freshman, McDaniels averaged 13 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while starting 21 games but began coming off the bench midway through conference play. After the season, he declared for the2020 NBA draft.[19]
In the2020 NBA draft, theLos Angeles Lakers selected McDaniels in the first round with the 28th overall selection. He was then traded to theOklahoma City Thunder along withDanny Green forDennis Schröder[20] and later traded to theMinnesota Timberwolves, along with the draft rights ofImmanuel Quickley, in exchange forAleksej Pokuševski.[21]
On April 9, 2023, McDaniels sustained a fracture in his right hand after he punched a wall following a 113–108 win over theNew Orleans Pelicans.[22]
On October 23, 2023, McDaniels signed a five-year contract extension with the Timberwolves worth $136 million.[23] During an on-court altercation at a November 14 game between the Timberwolves and theGolden State Warriors, McDaniels pulledKlay Thompson over and ripped his jersey, which started a brawl. Timberwolves centerRudy Gobert attempted to pull Thompson away from McDaniels, butDraymond Green put Gobert into a chokehold. McDaniels was ejected from the game and fined for the incident.[24][25]
On April 23, 2024, McDaniels led all scorers with a playoff career-high 25 points in a 105–93 victory over thePhoenix Suns in the first round.[26] The Timberwolves went on to sweep the Suns and advance to the second round.[27]
McDaniels was named to the 2023-2024NBA All-Defensive Second Team.[28]
The2024-25 season has seen McDaniels take an offensive leap, notching a career-high 30 points against thePortland Trail Blazers in a February 8 game. He was instrumental in the Timberwolves' historic 25-point comeback against the first-placeOklahoma City Thunder on February 24, converting athree-point play to send the game to overtime. He led all Minnesota scorers with 27 points.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Minnesota | 63 | 27 | 24.0 | .447 | .364 | .600 | 3.7 | 1.1 | .6 | 1.0 | 6.8 |
| 2021–22 | Minnesota | 70 | 31 | 25.8 | .460 | .317 | .803 | 4.2 | 1.1 | .7 | .8 | 9.2 |
| 2022–23 | Minnesota | 79 | 79 | 30.6 | .517 | .398 | .736 | 3.9 | 1.9 | .9 | 1.0 | 12.1 |
| 2023–24 | Minnesota | 72 | 71 | 29.2 | .489 | .337 | .722 | 3.1 | 1.4 | .9 | .6 | 10.5 |
| Career | 284 | 208 | 27.6 | .484 | .354 | .729 | 3.7 | 1.4 | .8 | .8 | 9.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Minnesota | 6 | 0 | 21.6 | .529 | .500 | .833 | 2.8 | .7 | .3 | 1.8 | 9.3 |
| 2024 | Minnesota | 16 | 16 | 33.6 | .514 | .429 | .771 | 3.8 | 1.1 | .9 | 1.1 | 12.2 |
| Career | 22 | 16 | 30.3 | .517 | .447 | .787 | 3.5 | 1.0 | .7 | 1.3 | 11.4 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Washington | 31 | 21 | 31.1 | .405 | .339 | .763 | 5.8 | 2.1 | .8 | 1.4 | 13.0 |
| Career | 31 | 21 | 31.1 | .405 | .339 | .763 | 5.8 | 2.1 | .8 | 1.4 | 13.0 | |
McDaniels's older brother,Jalen McDaniels, played basketball forFederal Way High School, where he was a four-star recruit,[29] before joining the University of Washington at the college level. He was selected by theCharlotte Hornets in the second round of the2019 NBA draft.[30] McDaniels is a cousin of former NBA playerJuwan Howard.[1] Both his father, Will McDaniels, and his mother, Angela Jackson, are originally fromChicago.[2]
