JADEN McDaniels

McDaniels played 73 games in 2025-26 and averaged 31.7 minutes. He scored 14.8 points per game and grabbed 4.2 rebounds. He added 2.7 assists. Those are the numbers of a role player with real minutes, not a primary creator. His usage rate was 18.2, which fits that role. He took care of the ball, with 1.8 turnovers a night. The team was 1.6 points per game better with him on the floor, according to his plus-minus of 1.6. He did most of his work away from the ball and on the defensive end, and last season's line shows a steady contributor who stayed available for most of the schedule.

The defensive numbers back up his reputation. Last season McDaniels averaged 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Few forwards combine both at that level while also staying efficient on offense. He shot 51.5 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three. He made 83.5 percent of his free throws. His true shooting percentage was 61.1. That mix is why his scoring total of 14.8 points came on modest volume. He did not need many shots to be useful. A wing who guards the opponent's best forward and still hits threes at that clip is hard to replace, and it explains why an extension would make sense for Minnesota.

McDaniels scored 9 points in 14.7 minutes in the Oct. 5 win over MIL, with a plus-minus of +10.0. He had 16 points against IND on Oct. 7 in a loss. Against NYK on Oct. 12, he scored 22 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 23.8 minutes, and Minnesota won. Then came 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 22.9 minutes in a loss to DET on Oct. 14. His minutes have stayed in the 20s in the last three games he played, well below last season's 31.7 average. The 22-point game is his best of the stretch. He did not play against CHI on Oct. 16.

McDaniels is not on the injury report right now. The listings in his recent history are rest days, not injuries. He was listed day-to-day for rest on Oct. 10 and was cleared on Oct. 12, the day he scored 22 against NYK. He was listed day-to-day for rest again on Oct. 16, sat out the CHI game with 0 minutes, and was cleared on Oct. 17. The pattern suggests Minnesota is managing his workload early. Fans should expect an occasional rest day to appear on the report, then clear before the next game. Nothing in the listings points to a physical problem.

Minnesota's last games of 2025-26 came against San Antonio, and McDaniels played in five of them. He scored 12 points in the May 6 loss and 17 in the May 8 loss. He logged 40.7 minutes in the May 10 win, scoring 14 points with 6 rebounds. He had 17 points in the May 12 loss and 13 in the May 15 loss, when his plus-minus was -21.0. Minnesota lost four of those five games. His scoring stayed in a tight range, from 12 to 17 points, and he played heavy minutes in two of the games. That workload is part of the case for managing his rest early this season.