The Minnesota Timberwolves have some big plans for the offseason, but podcaster Dane Moore threw an interesting wrinkle into it on Friday when he suggested it could include an extension for forward Jaden McDaniels.
Moore dropped his thoughts during Friday’s episode of The Dane Moore Podcast, stating that a two-year, $87 million contract extension would help the Timberwolves get ahead of the curve of rising player salaries in the NBA.
It would also lock up a key piece of Tim Connelly’s sub-26 core that also includes several players under the age of 26, like Naz Reid, Anthony Edwards and Joan Beringer.
While that logic checks out, there’s also a big gamble. If the Wolves are serious about a championship, they could chase by adding one of the several big names available and it could leave Connelly with regrets or continuing to chase a second star that never appears.
Jaden McDaniels’ possible extension could be an ill-fated gamble
As Moore stated, there are benefits to getting ahead of the curve with McDaniels’ contract situation. He averaged a career-high 14.8 points per game during the regular season and 16.3 points per game during the playoffs. He’s the Timberwolves’ best perimeter defender and still has several years of high-level play remaining.
The problem is, this could be McDaniels’s peak. Set to turn 26 in September, he’s a foundational piece and a “glue guy” to stick around Edwards. But with a proposed contract that would pay him $42 million during the 2029-30 season and $45 million for the 2030-31 season, the Wolves would need him to hit another level to justify that contract, even with the rise in player salaries.
If McDaniels doesn’t move forward, that could be a problem. The Wolves have their supporting cast around Edwards, but they need another star to bring it all together. McDaniels could be an attractive trade asset if he were placed on the market next summer and he could be an attractive NBA-ready piece of a package to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Antetokounmpo has some flaws due to knee and calf injuries that ruined last season. But he is also a generational talent that’s available for trade. Even in an era where stars ask for trades if the wind blows in a different direction, that’s a rarity and an opportunity the Wolves shouldn’t pass up, even if it means parting with McDaniels.
That leads to the alternate universe where the Wolves sign McDaniels, he levels off and they’re still looking for a second star. Even if one becomes available, they likely wouldn’t be the same caliber as Antetokounmpo is currently, leaving Minnesota to save its best bait for a big fish that never appears.
It also would lead the Wolves to accept they’re further away from a championship than they think. While fans may be able to accept that, Edwards could see it differently and become frustrated with the front office. That could leave some unwanted drama next offseason when he could sign a new four-year, supermax contract in the summer of 2027 and perhaps even land him on the trade block.
Of course, this goes well if McDaniels assumes a bigger role in the offense. But that’s not guaranteed to be successful.
It means a two-year contract for McDaniels isn’t the great long-term move it appears to be and should give Connelly plenty of caution as he heads into the summer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google