Jaden McDanielsMinnesota Timberwolves · #3
Jaden McDaniels is an elite 3-and-D wing for the Minnesota Timberwolves — one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Drafted 28th in 2020 out of Washington, the long, versatile forward made All-Defensive Second Team in 2024 and guards the opponent's best scorer nightly. He signed a five-year, $136 million extension and posted a 32-point playoff game in the 2026 first round.
Jaden McDaniels — the report card
Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades from the DNA model + real production.
Where Jaden McDaniels stands
Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.
Jaden McDaniels — every number, three levels deep
Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.
How the model sees Jaden McDaniels
Projection = per-minute rate × projected minutes. Rates are recency- and health-weighted, aged along a per-stat curve, and adjusted for live usage/role. No black box — every number shows its work.
Jaden McDaniels career stats, season by season
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 63 | 24.0 | 6.8 | 3.7 | 1.1 | .447 | .364 |
| 2021-22 | 70 | 25.8 | 9.2 | 4.2 | 1.1 | .460 | .317 |
| 2022-23 | 79 | 30.6 | 12.1 | 3.9 | 1.9 | .517 | .398 |
| 2023-24 | 72 | 29.2 | 10.5 | 3.1 | 1.4 | .489 | .337 |
| 2024-25 | 82 | 31.9 | 12.2 | 5.7 | 2.0 | .477 | .330 |
| 2025-26 | 73 | 31.7 | 14.8 | 4.2 | 2.7 | .515 | .412 |
| Career | 439 | 29.1 | 11.1 | 4.2 | 1.7 |
The Lab
Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.
Are the Minnesota Timberwolves built to win?
Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.
The Ballad of Jaden McDaniels
Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.
The beginning
A long, elite perimeter defender and 3-and-D forward — the stopper who anchors Minnesota's wing defense.
Turning pro
Drafted 28th overall, 2020 as a Forward.
true
A long, elite perimeter stopper — the 3-and-D wing who anchors Minnesota's defense.
Chapter
A Federal Way, Washington kid and Washington Husky, McDaniels was drafted 28th in 2020 in a draft-night trade to Minnesota.
Chapter
He became an All-Defensive wing who guards the opponent's best scorer with elite length.
Off the court
- Height
- 6' 9"
- Weight
- 185 lbs
- College
- Washington
- Experience
- 6th Season
- NBA debut
- 2020
- Draft
- 28th overall, 2020
- Born
- Federal Way, Washington
- Age
- 26
- Jersey
- #3
Basketball runs in the McDaniels family: Jaden's older brother Jalen also reached the NBA, his parents hail from Chicago, and his mother is a cousin of former NBA player and coach Juwan Howard. He became a father in 2024, and has grown from a raw, foul-prone rookie into a disciplined defensive standout.
His identity is elite, versatile perimeter defense — a 6-foot-9 wing with the length to bother guards and forwards alike — paired with enough three-point shooting to stay on the floor. His fiery edge has occasionally boiled over (he once broke his hand punching a wall), but his defense is the backbone of Minnesota's identity next to Rudy Gobert's rim protection.
A long, disciplined perimeter stopper — elite wing defense with reliable three-point shooting.
Jaden McDaniels — frequently asked
The questions people ask most about Jaden McDaniels, answered.
