It has been a busy few weeks for the Minnesota Timberwolves. After finalizing their draft picks and signing two new free agents in Troy Brown and Shake Milton, the Wolves’ roster for next season started to take shape.
But of course, the most important domino of the offseason was inking Anthony Edwards to a new contract, which the Timberwolves accomplished on July 3 when he agreed to a five-year, $260 million extension. With Edwards re-signed, the next step was to do the same with Jaden McDaniels.
As of now, a new contract for McDaniels has not been agreed upon. However, Darren Wolfson of SKOR North recently indicated an extension is in the works, and specified that “both sides are motivated to get a deal done.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Jaden McDaniels are working on an extension.
Wolfson confirmed what we already knew in explaining that there had been no new movement on a new contract for Jaden McDaniels. However, the two sides are expected to come to an agreement sooner or later, with no signs of a holdout present.
Most Wolves fans probably already assumed this was the case, but it is always nice to be reassured. Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising part of Wolfson’s report was that McDaniels’ eventual deal is expected to pay him a yearly salary somewhere in the range of $21 to $24 million per year.
Are the #Timberwolves close to signing Jaden McDaniels to an extension? Plus, the Wolves add to their front office.@DWolfsonKSTP has your scoop powered by https://t.co/yl90A5UwWG pic.twitter.com/hm8YTMU1BX
— SKOR North (@SKORNorth) July 26, 2023
Jaden McDaniels’ new contract may be cheaper than expected.
A deal in that range is likely far below what many may have expected. With the contracts that have already been handed out around the league this summer, Jaden is certainly worth an extension in the range of five years, $150 million.
To get him back in Minnesota for as little as $21 million per year would be incredible value, and would give the Wolves a lot of options going forward. If a contract like this comes to fruition, it will be even more proof of General Manager Tim Connelly’s genius.
No matter what size deal he ends up getting, Jaden McDaniels will continue to be a massively important piece for the Timberwolves. As he continues developing into one of the most deadly perimeter defenders in the NBA, McDaniels will be one of the foundational pieces for a team chasing a championship.