The Minnesota Timberwolves are expected to dive into the trade market this offseason and a lot of names have been thrown around. A rumored pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the biggest storyline as the offseason approaches, but so has the status of Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels.
McDaniels is one of the Timberwolves’ most intriguing trade chips and could help them land a second superstar to play next to Anthony Edwards. But as The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Eric Nehm reported that the Milwaukee Bucks would want the 25-year-old as a centerpiece to a package to acquire Antetokounmpo, the Wolves have also made it clear he’s not going anywhere.
“If the Timberwolves want to get into the mix, league sources say the Bucks would want a package including Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Terrence Shannon Jr. and their two tradeable first-round picks [No. 28 in this year’s draft and their 2033 pick],” The report stated. “Yet considering McDaniels’ immense value alongside Edwards as an elite perimeter defender, as well as his impressive postseason performance, team sources say Minnesota has indicated that McDaniels is off limits.”
Timberwolves make it clear Jaden McDaniels is off limits in trade talks
The argument can be made that giving up McDaniels may be worth it to bring a generational player to the Timberwolves. But most fans would counter by saying McDaniels has room to grow as he enters his mid-20s.
McDaniels averaged a career-high 14.8 points per game last season and was a contributor in other areas with 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest. He also had a career high 3-point percentage of 41.2 percent and his 51.5 percent field goal percentage was the second-highest of his career behind a 51.7 percent clip in 2022-23.
While he didn’t shoot as well in the playoffs, McDaniels found another gear, averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists over 12 games. He was also a big reason why the Timberwolves upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round, getting into their heads by calling them “bad defenders” and scoring 32 points with 10 rebounds in Game 6 to close out the series.
This was enough for president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, to be bullish about an expanded role for McDaniels moving forward and with his elite perimeter defense, that could be a strong asset to throw into a trade. While the Bucks may be salivating over that potential, the Wolves have reason to keep McDaniels around.
McDaniels' defensive abilities not only help limit Anthony Edwards' responsibilities on that end of the court, but they may be needed if the Wolves decide to trade Rudy Gobert this summer. McDaniels could also co-exist if the Wolves bring in a point guard like Kyrie Irving, giving them a more complete team to battle the deep rosters of the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
It’s also important to note that the Wolves’ belief in McDaniels isn’t a new thing. The Athletic’s Tony Jones reported that the Utah Jazz “initially insisted” on having McDaniels as part of the trade package for Gobert back in 2022. But the Wolves’ refusal was a reason why they chose to part with four first-round draft picks and a pick swap to make the deal happen.
The Wolves don’t have that capital this time around and McDaniels could be a way to make up for it. But it appears Minnesota has no interest in that scenario and teams will have to ask for other assets if they want to make a deal this summer.
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