Jaden McDaniels
#3PF · Minnesota Timberwolves
All-Defensive 2nd Team '24
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Height
6'9"
Weight
185 lbs
Age
25
College
Washington
Experience
5 yrs
B
B+
B-
B+
N/A
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The Verdict on Jaden, in One Read
On the field, Jaden McDaniels grades out as a strong PF for Minnesota Timberwolves (B- Impact). That places him 18th of 84 graded power forwards. In his on-court role, the grade is strong (B+ Role), reflecting how he produces relative to others at his position. The money matches the play — the Contract Value Index lands at B, good value. The public read is positive (B+ Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal rather than the box score.
Career StatsB
| Year | Team | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 439 | 14.8 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 51.5% | 35.9% | 77.4% |
| 2025-26 | | 73 | 14.8 | 4.2 | 2.7 |
Performance Grade by Season
PeakB-LongevityEstablishedRecentB-
| Season | Team | GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | | 73 | 14.8 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 51.5% | B- B- |
| 2024-25 | | 82 | 12.2 | 5.7 | 2.0 | 47.7% | B B |
| 2023-24 | | 72 | 10.5 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 48.9% | D+ D+ |
| 2022-23 | | 79 | 12.1 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 51.7% | C+ C+ |
| 2021-22 | | 70 | 9.2 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 46.0% | D+ D+ |
| 2020-21 | | 63 | 6.8 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 44.7% | D+ D+ |
Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.
Recent Games
| Date | OPP | Result | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 5/16 | vs SAS | L 109-139 | 23 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4-13 | 2-4 | -21 |
| Wed, 5/13 | @ SAS | L 97-126 | 30 | 17 |
Current Contract
Length
4 years
Total Value
$108.4M
Guaranteed
$51.1M
AAV
$24.4M/yr
Guaranteed %47%
Contract Value Index (CVI)
B
Good Value
OverpayFair ValueGreat Value
Jaden McDaniels earns a B Contract Value Index (CVI), a grade that reflects solid alignment between his $24.4M AAV over four years and his demonstrated two-way impact as a starter-caliber wing. His B-grade performance output—14.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.7 APG across 73 games in 2025-26, anchored by an All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2024—supports a complementary star valuation rather than a max-tier contract. At that salary, he sits comfortably in the above-average starter range for a wing defender with respectable scoring efficiency and legitimate All-Defensive credential; the deal neither overreaches for upside nor discounts for durability concerns. At 25 years old and in his sixth season, McDaniels is in the sweet spot of a veteran player entering his prime, which justifies the four-year commitment without requiring breakthrough scoring numbers to validate the investment. The current media narrative—framing him as a stabilizing defensive anchor the Timberwolves are explicitly committed to building around rather than a trade candidate—aligns squarely with the B grade: he's a core rotation piece, not a salary burden or a bargain steal, and the front office has clearly priced him as such. Trade speculation circulating around the league reads as external noise rather than internal doubt, which reinforces that Minnesota views this contract as foundational rather than movable, making it a fair long-term anchor for a defensive-minded organization.
Performance Analysis
B
#18 of 84 Power Forwards
Contracts in the Same Value Band
Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Jaden's contract sits relative to comparable money.
How Jaden Compares at the Position
Jaden McDaniels ranks 18th of 84 graded power forwards by performance. That slots Jaden between Paul George (B) just ahead and Santi Aldama (B) just behind.
Graded higher
Paul GeorgePhiladelphia SixersBDeMar DeRozanSacramento KingsBAnthony DavisWashington WizardsBJaden McDanielsB
Graded lower
Santi AldamaMemphis GrizzliesTransaction History
No transactions found for this player.
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About this player
Jaden McDaniels is a player in his 5th NBA season listed at PF for the Minnesota Timberwolves. FanVerdicts covers every NBA player, team, GM, and transaction — and puts your verdict on all of it. Sign in to cast your Fan Verdict on Jaden McDaniels, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts also brings its own read — performance, sentiment, and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index B, Performance B, Sentiment B+.
The crowd's Fan Verdict moves in real time as fans vote on this profile. FanVerdicts' own read updates as new data lands — performance recalculates when NBA game stats post, sentiment shifts with media coverage and fan discussion, and the Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) behind the Contract Value Index read.
For league-wide context, the NBA hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The NBA player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.