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Jaden McDaniels' new workout partner should put the rest of the NBA on notice

Jaden McDaniels taking an offensive leap is all but guaranteed now.
ByEamon Cassels|
Apr 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) celebrates a three pointer made against the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Apr 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) celebrates a three pointer made against the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Recently, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels was seen working out with Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard. This is a logical workout partner for McDaniels, given the similarities in their game. Undoubtedly, Leonard could help McDaniels take his game to the next level.

McDaniels is coming off a season where he averaged a career high 12.2 points, and many are expecting the soon-to-be 25-year-old to make a jump offensively. Assuming this is more than a one-off thing, working with Leonard could allow McDaniels to reach this next level.

Working out with Kawhi could help McDaniels reach another level

As elite on-ball stoppers with impressive versatility and off-ball chops, the similarities between the two wings are clear. Leonard's true breakout season happened during his fourth year in the league, where he averaged 16.5 points and won his first Defensive Player of the Year award. He followed this up by bumping up his scoring average to 21.2 ppg and earning his second DPOY. It's improbable that McDaniels reaches Leonard's ceiling as a two-time Finals MVP.

Nevertheless, the two players are similar archetypes as two-way wings, and Leonard has made significant offensive strides since his early career days. Leonard went from averaging 10.9 ppg in his first three seasons to 23.3 ppg in the 10 years since. During this time, Leonard went from a fairly raw offensive player to an all-time great difficult shot maker.

Again, a jump this significant feels improbable for McDaniels; however, he could bump his scoring average up to the 15 to 16 ppg range. Working with Leonard could help McDaniels improve as a scorer and shot creator.

Leonard also improved his assists per game from 1.6 in his first three seasons to 3.6 over the following 10 seasons. Playmaking and decision-making are two other aspects Leonard could help McDaniels improve upon. Kawhi is a career 39.2 percent 3-point shooter, while McDaniels currently sits at 34.8 percent for his career. Outside shooting is yet another area that Leonard can help McDaniels improve at.

McDaniels has shown plenty of flashes of offensive growth, including averaging 14.7 points in the playoffs and 13.9 points in the 2025 portion of last season. The writing was already on the wall for McDaniels to take another leap. Now working with Kawhi could make this belief a reality. Even if they are simply going through the same workout with a trainer, there's a lot to learn from being in Leonard's presence.

While McDaniels is already an elite defender, working with an all-time great defender in Kawhi could help him further improve defensively. Overall, McDaniels reaching another level significantly boosts the Wolves' title chances and is something that should put the rest of the league on notice.

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