Jaden McDaniels is day-to-day with a rest designation and will not play in Friday's preseason game against the Bulls, Alan Horton of the Timberwolves Radio Network reports. The forward sits out Minnesota's final tune-up before the 2026-27 regular season, opening minutes for the rest of the rotation.
What happened
McDaniels is listed Day-To-Day for Friday, Oct. 16 with a rest designation, logged as "Rest - Other" on the injury report. Alan Horton of the Timberwolves Radio Network reports McDaniels won't play in Friday's preseason game against the Bulls. The move caps an unsettled week for the forward: he was cleared from Day-To-Day on Monday, Oct. 12, then placed back on Day-To-Day that same day, after sitting Day-To-Day with the same rest designation on Saturday, Oct. 10. No prior status is formally attached to Friday's listing.
What it means for the Timberwolves
Friday's game at the Bulls is Minnesota's last preseason outing before the 2026-27 season begins, and the Timberwolves are 0-0 with that season still unplayed. Last season McDaniels averaged 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 31.7 minutes across 73 games, production the Timberwolves lose on the wing for this one night. In minutes logged without him, Anthony Edwards (35.0 min, 28.8 pts) and Julius Randle (33.0 min, 21.1 pts) carried the largest loads, with Kyle Anderson (19.1 min) and Naz Reid (26.1 min) among those seeing extra run on the wing and frontcourt.
What to watch
McDaniels' expected return is Oct. 21, which would put him back before the regular season opens. The next injury report will show whether that timeline holds or whether the Day-To-Day tag persists. With preseason winding down, his status heading into the 2026-27 opener is the next checkpoint to track.
Is Jaden McDaniels playing at the Bulls?
No. McDaniels is Day-To-Day with a rest designation and won't play in Friday's preseason game against the Bulls, per Alan Horton of the Timberwolves Radio Network.
When will McDaniels be back?
His expected return is Oct. 21, 2026.