With LaMelo Ball joining the Minnesota Timberwolves to pair with Anthony Edwards and form quite the potent backcourt, it seems that other members of the team have almost become afterthoughts—at least during the offseason.
Although the roster isn’t exactly the same, there are some fairly notable players on a team that has won five playoff series over the last three years. One of those players is Jaden McDaniels, now tied with Edwards as the longest-tenured member of the club.
Coming off a career-best season, McDaniels can level up even further if he shows the consistency needed to follow up one year as a major threat from beyond the arc with another.
2025-26 was a career-best shooting season for Jaden McDaniels
Always known first for his defensive prowess, McDaniels had his best offensive season in his sixth year in the league. It was also his best shooting season: He shot a career-high 83.5 percent from the foul line and, more notably, a career-high 41.2 percent from 3-point territory.
Last season marked the first time in McDaniels’ NBA tenure that he knocked down more than 40 percent of his 3-pointers in a season. There’s really only one other year in which he came close. In 2022-23, he shot 39.8 percent.
In both 2023-24 and 2024-25, the 6-foot-9 wing was a below-average shooter from deep. McDaniels shot just 33.7 percent and 33.0 percent, respectively, from 3-point range in those two years. A positive sign is that he connected on 40.5 percent of his 3-pointers in those two postseasons, and that success finally translated to the regular season as well—although McDaniels made just 23.8 percent of his 3-pointers in the 2026 playoffs.
Now, with Ball on the roster and replacing Julius Randle as one of the top two offensive options, McDaniels will spend most nights third in the pecking order, much like last season. He can still continue to ascend on the offensive end, particularly given the amount of attention defenses will need to pay to the starting backcourt.
That will occur as long as his 3-point shot remains accurate. The opportunity will be there for McDaniels to become a more prolific 3-point shooter after attempting 3.4 per game in 2025-26. He made 44.7 percent of his wide-open 3-point attempts—when no defender was within six feet—so as long as he remains near that percentage, McDaniels' offensive output should continue to increase.
McDaniels now shares a starting lineup with a true point guard, something that didn’t happen often last season. That should help set him up for more open looks. Now, McDaniels must prove he can knock them down in back-to-back seasons.
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