Can Timberwolves ink McDaniels to extension in next 24 hours?
By Bret Stuter
The Minnesota Timberwolves will be working overtime, and perhaps even burning the midnight oil, as the team makes the final tweaks to the Timberwolves roster in preparation for the 2023-24 NBA season. But the truth of the matter is that the Timberwolves 2023-24 NBA season may depend heavily upon one young player, and right now his future status is about as clear as mud.
I am referring to the Timberwolves starting small forward, Jaden McDaniels. So what about McDaniels is so obscure and difficult to determine as the new season is about to get underway? It’s the same old challenges that face almost all NBA stars at some point in their careers.
What is Jaden McDaniels injury status? And then, after that, where are the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jaden McDaniels at as far as negotiating his new contract extension?
Jaden McDaniels is vital to Timberwolves success in 2023-24 season
In the grand scheme of the team and the strategic way that Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly has constructed the Timberwolves roster, the Wolves have two stages of an NBA Championship run.
The first phase is the current roster and the 2023-24 NBA season. The Timberwolves have solid veterans on the team like center Rudy Gobert, power forward Karl-Anthony Towns, and point guard Mike Conley Jr. whose peak window of winning is now. And two young stars, shooting guard Anthony Edwards and small forward Jaden McDaniels, are rising to that level of play that could put the Timberwolves over the hump.
But the Timberwolves have another run embedded in this roster, led by Edwards and McDaniels, but joined by center or power forward Naz Reid, rookie Leonard Miller, 3-and-D Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and others. That’s the part of the Timberwolves strategy that few discuss right now. And Jaden McDaniels is vital to that stage as well.