Jaden McDaniels will play the entirety of the 2026-27 season at just 26 years old. That’s just a reminder that we shouldn’t think of him as a finished product just yet, as he may not have entered his prime yet.
As of last season, former NBA player James “Flight” White has been a player development assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage asked White about McDaniels.
“I’m super excited, I mean he’s been waiting on this,” White said. “We talk about it all the time, just having a bigger role, and I think he’s ready, he’ll be ready. He’s working hard, getting back in the groove. He’ll be ready, he’ll be ready for any role they need him to take.”
Seeing further growth from McDaniels next season is one of the main reasons that Wolves fans should be most excited for the upcoming year. After a strong playoff run, Wolves fans are expecting McDaniels to further level up.
Early this offseason president of basketball opreations, Tim Connelly noted that he believes McDaniels has another gear to reach. As such, White's comments are just the latest example of buzz around McDaniels' upcoming season.
McDaniels primed for larger role
For a brief while, it seemed as if McDaniels might have become the second scoring option for Minnesota. That upgrade in the offensive pecking order occurred when Julius Randle was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
That likely changed once the Timberwolves made a subsequent move and traded for LaMelo Ball. So while there’s a good chance that McDaniels will receive fewer shot attempts than Ball and Anthony Edwards, that doesn’t mean McDaniels can’t take further strides on the offensive end.
In what was his sixth year in the league in 2025-26, McDaniels put together his best offensive season. The 6-foot-9 wing averaged a career-high 14.8 points with career-best shooting marks of 51.5 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from 3-point distance, and 83.5 percent from the foul line.
Now, remember he did that without playing with a true lead guard alongside him in the starting lineup. Ball has certainly been shot-happy throughout his career, but was less so with what was probably the most talented Charlotte Hornets team he's been with last season.
He should help guide a high-octane offense, so as long as McDaniels is willing to run, which he should, easy buckets should happen more often.
It’s great to hear that McDaniels has talked about having a larger role. There’s no reason to believe he’s not ready for it. He certainly doesn’t lack confidence, as evidenced by his trash-talking about the defense of the majority of the Denver Nuggets’ key players.
Now armed with the most dynamic point guard he’s played with in his career, McDaniels can continue his ascent to being a two-way star.
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