Jaden McDaniels

Not to be confused with Jalen McDaniels.

Jaden McDaniels

McDaniels with Washington in 2020
No. 3–Minnesota Timberwolves
Position	Small forward / power forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(2000-09-29) September 29, 2000 (age 23) Federal Way, Washington, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school	Federal Way (Federal Way, Washington)
College	Washington (2019–2020)
NBA draft	2020: 1st round, 28th overall pick
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Playing career	2020–present
Career history
2020–present	Minnesota Timberwolves
Career highlights and awards
McDonald's All-American (2019)
Stats   at NBA.com
Stats   at Basketball-Reference.com

Jaden McDaniels (born September 29, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies. He attended Federal Way High School in Federal Way, Washington, where he was named a McDonald's All-American and Washington Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. McDaniels was a five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2019 class.

High school career

McDaniels played basketball for Federal Way High School in Federal Way, Washington. As a freshman, he was teammates with his older brother Jalen 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 the varsity 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 earned USA Today All-USA Washington first team honors. ^[4] In May 2018, McDaniels saw breakout success at the Nike 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 against Todd Beamer High School, breaking the school single-game scoring record held by NBA player Donny 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 Washington Gatorade Player of the Year recognition. ^{[9] [10]} McDaniels played in the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic. ^{[11] [12]}

Recruiting

By the end of his high school career, McDaniels was considered a consensus five-star recruit and the best power forward in the 2019 class. ^[13] ESPN and Rivals ranked him among the top 10 players in his class. ^{[14] [15]} On May 22, 2019, McDaniels committed to play college basketball for Washington. He had also received strong interest from Kentucky during the recruiting process. ^[16]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

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
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 7   247Sports: 13   ESPN: 7
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Washington 2019 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019. "2019 Washington Huskies Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019. "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.

College career

McDaniels (right) at the 2019 Diamond Head Classic

Heading in to the college season, McDaniels was considered a possible number one pick for the 2020 NBA draft. ^[17] In his collegiate debut, a 67–64 upset of Baylor, he had 18 points and seven rebounds. ^[18] He had a season-high 22 points against Ball 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. Following the season, he declared for the 2020 NBA draft. ^[19]

Professional career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2020–present)

In the 2020 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected McDaniels in the first round with the 28th overall selection. He was then traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with Danny Green for Dennis Schröder ^[20] and later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with the draft rights of Immanuel Quickley, in exchange for Aleksej Pokuševski. ^[21]

On April 10, 2023, McDaniels sustained a fracture in his right hand after he punched a wall following a 113–108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. ^[22]

On October 23, 2023, McDaniels signed a five-year contract extension worth $136 million with the Timberwolves. ^[23] During a November 14 game between the Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors, McDaniels was involved in an on-court incident where he pulled over Klay Thompson and ripped his jersey. Afterwards, Draymond Green headlocked Rudy Gobert. McDaniels was ejected from the game and was fined for the incident. ^{[24] [25]}

Career statistics

Legend

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

NBA

Regular season

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
Career		212	137	27.0	.482	.360	.731	3.9	1.4	.8	.9	9.6

Play-in

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2022	Minnesota	1	0	22.5	.333	.500	.500	3.0	1.0	2.0	.0	6.0
Career		1	0	22.5	.333	.500	.500	3.0	1.0	2.0	.0	6.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2022	Minnesota	6	0	21.7	.529	.500	.833	2.8	.7	.3	1.8	9.3
Career		6	0	21.7	.529	.500	.833	2.8	.7	.3	1.8	9.3

College

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

Personal life

McDaniels's older brother, Jalen McDaniels, played basketball for Federal Way High School, where he was a four-star recruit, ^[26] before joining San Diego State at the college level. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft. ^[27] McDaniels is a cousin of former NBA player Juwan Howard. ^[1] Both his father, Will McDaniels, and his mother, Angela Jackson, are originally from Chicago. ^[2]

References

1. Cotterill, TJ (December 14, 2017). "Federal Way has one of the top basketball recruits in the country – a 6-foot-9 guard". The News Tribune . Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
2. Evans, Jayda (February 20, 2019). "'The future of basketball' plays at Federal Way High School. His name is Jaden McDaniels". The Seattle Times . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
3. Evans, Jayda (March 3, 2018). "Gonzaga Prep rallies past Federal Way for 4A state boys championship". The Seattle Times . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
4. "2017-18 ALL-USA Washington Boys Basketball Team". USA Today High School Sports. April 16, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
5. "Washington forward Jaden McDaniels is EYBL's biggest spring stock-booster". MaxPreps. May 25, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
6. Norlander, Matt (July 17, 2018). "Jaden McDaniels' dad isn't the next LaVar Ball, but he's controlling his 5-star son's recruitment". CBS Sports . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
7. Joyce, Nathan (January 25, 2019). "All-American indeed: Federal Way's Jaden McDaniels breaks school record with 51". The Seattle Times . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
8. Smith, Lauren (March 10, 2019). "Federal Way's McDaniels has all the numbers – and the talent and drive to go with it". The News Tribune . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
9. Joyce, Nathan (March 7, 2019). "Federal Way's Jaden McDaniels named WIBCA Class 4A player of year". The Seattle Times . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
10. "Jaden McDaniels 2018 - Gatorade Player of the Year". Gatorade . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
11. Hammond, Andrew (March 29, 2019). "Washington commit Stewart, Federal Way's McDaniels stand out at 2019 McDonald's All-American Game". The News Tribune . Retrieved July 22, 2019.
12. Joyce, Nathan (March 8, 2019). "Federal Way's Jaden McDaniels named to Jordan Brand Classic all-star game". The Seattle Times . Retrieved July 22, 2019.
13. "Jaden McDaniels, Federal Way, Power Forward". 247Sports.com . Retrieved July 22, 2019.
14. "Jaden McDaniels, 2019 Power forward". Rivals.com . Retrieved July 22, 2019.
15. "Jaden McDaniels". ESPN . Retrieved July 22, 2019.
16. "UW scores second top-7 recruit in PF McDaniels". ESPN. May 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
17. "2020 NBA mock draft: New No. 1 pick, latest on top prospects". ESPN.com. January 23, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
18. "Washington rallies, stuns No. 16 Baylor 67-64 in Alaska". ESPN . Associated Press. November 9, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
19. "Washington freshman Jaden McDaniels declares for NBA draft". ESPN . Associated Press. April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
20. "Lakers Acquire Dennis Schröder". Lakers.com. November 18, 2020.
21. "Minnesota Timberwolves Acquire Ricky Rubio And Draft Rights To Jaden McDaniels From Oklahoma City And Draft Rights To Leandro Bolmaro From New York". NBA.com. November 20, 2020.
22. "Timberwolves' Jaden McDaniels: Diagnosed with fractured hand". cbssports.com. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
23. "Wolves, Jaden McDaniels agree to $136M contract extension". nba.com. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
24. Chen, Sonja (November 15, 2023). "Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Jaden McDaniels ejected after altercation". NBA.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
25. "Warriors' Draymond Green suspended five games for grabbing Rudy Gobert; three players fined". Toronto Star. Associated Press. November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
26. Ruiz, Drew (October 22, 2018). "NBA-Bound Jalen and Jaden McDaniels are Pushing Each Other into the Next Gear". Slam . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
27. "2019 Draft Prospect - Jalen McDaniels". National Basketball Association . Retrieved July 21, 2019.

External links

• Washington Huskies bio
• USA Basketball bio