5:18pm: The Timberwolves have officially announced McDaniels’ extension, issuing a press release to confirm the deal.
2:53pm: McDaniels’ new deal will actually be worth $131MM, with another $5MM available via incentives that are currently considered unlikely, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.
1:20pm: The Timberwolves and forward Jaden McDaniels are in agreement on a five-year rookie scale extension worth $136MM, agents Nima Namakian and Bill Duffy tell Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
As Charania notes (via Twitter), by agreeing to give McDaniels a significant contract extension, the Wolves project to be a taxpayer starting in 2024/25, which is when the new deal kicks in. Minnesota hasn’t been a taxpaying team in almost 20 years, Charania adds.
McDaniels will make $3.9MM this season in the final year of his rookie contract.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently said on his Lowe Post podcast that the five-year, $135MM+ extension that Spurs wing Devin Vassell signed threw a “grenade” into some other rookie scale extension negotiations around the NBA, including McDaniels’ talks.
While Lowe believed that McDaniels would be warranted in seeking an annual salary of at least $30MM per year, his ESPN colleague Bobby Marks suggested that an extension worth in the neighborhood of $134MM over five years (just below Vassell’s deal) might make sense for both the player and the team. Marks turned out to be almost exactly right.
When I covered McDaniels’ extension candidacy in late June, I projected he could get about $25MM annually. If the deal is fully guaranteed, he’ll make a couple million per year more than that.
The 23-year-old is one of the top wing defenders in the league. He’s coming off a career year in which he averaged 12.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .517/.398/.736 shooting in 79 games, all starts (30.6 MPG). McDaniels also posted a career-best 58.8% two-point percentage in ’22/23, with a major leap in scoring efficiency (61.1% True Shooting percentage, vs. 55.2% and 55.3% in his previous two seasons).
Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and Skor North was speaking to Wolves owner Glen Taylor on Monday and he said a deal would be completed prior to the 5:00 p.m. CT deadline (Twitter link). Taylor also said the Wolves were able to lower McDaniels’ asking price, with Vassell’s contract cited in talks, according to Wolfson.
McDaniels is the 11th former first-round pick to agree to a rookie scale extension this offseason, tying the record of the past two years. The full list of players who have signed new deals — as well as those who remain eligible — can be found right here.
Wovles going all-in for the play-in baby!!
Lol who the heck is running this team? I mean, they could have just went to RFA with this one, matched, and paid half that.
Great synopsis here of the failings: link to fadeawayworld.net
Not sure it’s good allocation of dollars to put 135-150M per season into 3 Centers and 1 PF with zero of those guys making an All-NBA or All-Defense team last year and unlikely to make one moving forward. But that’s just me.
Lots of criticism seems warranted based on last year’s Gobert trade results!
Arod and Marc Lore are set to become majority owners from Glen Taylor in 2024 maybe?
Don’t you see Ant as a face of the NBA today, if not already a legit superstar?
Don’t you see Jaden as an emerging all-defensive team caliber player?
The team also seems pretty deep
Y’all sleep on Jaden McDaniels!!! He can guard four positions at a very high level and he’s a Small Forward. He complements Anthony Edwards perfectly. Jaden McDaniels is going to definitely be all defensive 1st or 2nd team this year.
Isn’t this the clown that broke his hand punching a wall right b4 the playoffs last year??? Gave Denver a good fight without him…..he may of cost them the chance to beat the Nuggets.
I wouldn’t go calling the young fella a clown. I know you made some mistakes when you was younger. Minnesota Timberwolves going to be very dangerous. Jaden McDaniels is one of the best defensive wings in the league. Anthony Edwards is going to be the best Shooting Guard in the NBA after this season. Rudy Gobert is still a really good defensive Center and Karl Anthony-Towns is the best shooting Power Forward in the NBA.
His brother Jalen has signed $9 million contract
What’s the difference?
Jalen has top tier coach in Rivers
Just say your a casual Jaden is one the best defenders in the NBA Jalen is a role player
$131M for McDaniel, that’s crazy. He’s a nice player, but that is double of what he should have got. Wolves cap sheet is going to be a mess into the 2040’s at this pace.
Feels stiff but that’s the price paid to retain a 3&D wing who is still improving offensively while already being on the brink of perennial All-Defense teams. Dude is a straight lock-down. If ANT continues to improve on that side of the ball they can be the one of if not the best on-ball wing defensive tandems in the league.
Price might feel high but it’s going to feel like a better value in the later years when he’s really entering his prime/peak. Players with his skillset are just going to be that in demand, Wolves have to pay if they want to retain. Just look at the conversations around asking price for OG Anunoby and that’s where he’s trending.
Where the deal becomes a problem is not what Jaden is earning but that giving him the deal makes either an eventual KAT or Gobert move feel that much more inevitable. Next 2 years with ANT/KAT/Rudy/Jaden all on the books is crippling cap-wise. I expect the Wolves to be competing in the West (at least regular season) this year so hard to imagine a deadline deal, but next offseason feels like it has to be spicy for one of those 2 guys.
Wolves need a long-term answer at PG alongside some draft capital back, so which guy brings that and from where is the question. If I’m Minnesota I end up selling the Knicks on a KAT for Quickley+picks+filler deal, I think he’s got a lot of potential and will come in at a much lower cap hit. Try to retain Old Man Conley for a reasonable value and let those 2 run the point. Elevate Naz Reid to the KAT role and go from there.
McDaniels is better than DLo?
Jaden only scored 5 fewer PPG last year with better percentages playing mostly as the third option on offense, is 4.5 years younger improving every year, not only plays defense at all but had a case for All-Defense already last year.
Not going to dump on DLo bc he made some big moments for Wolves, but his shortcomings were holding the team back and moving off of him was the right move for this team. If I’m Minny and have the choice of Jaden or DLo rn, I’m taking Jaden 10 times outta 10.
I’ll dump on Dlo then…
DLo is a shooting guard who looks to pad their assist numbers… At best a 6th man like Jamal Crawford and used in a way where he’s not taking shots away from the others… At worst he’s unplayable and can tank key streches of games for a team even on his good nights…
Nice post , agree 100%
Kats gotta go imo and it behoove them to do it this year while the salary match is 36 mill not 50 like next year
Problem is if minny is good 1st half they won’t trade kat , if minny is bad abd reaches trade territory kat is probably hurt or not playing that well –
Ida done it 2 months ago even with the value being closer to Beal territory than what the 2 kers here think he’d net
Really like this team but the cap sheet is in some trouble here unless ARod is getting sone help from JLo on the side
Kid could be an All star on a eastern team, on a loaded western team he’s a little overpaid as a 3rd or 4th option… For now… Should look good by the end of the deal…
It’s another needless early extension of a controlled player. Yeah, everyone else is doing it, but it’s especially ill advised here. MIN is not a finished product, and the team is entering a critical season that should determine their future roster composition. This move tosses away much of the little flexibility they had to reset the roster before next off season.
Let’s see….pay him $131MM over 5 years or match the 4 year $125MM dollar offer he gets next off season. One more year of control and $5MM cheaper per annum.
Fans are just going to have to use to the idea that $25-30MM a season is equivalent to what $15-20MM was a few seasons ago.
My post, at least, had nothing to do with his salary under the contract.
Although since you brought it up, your suggested scenario (and offer sheet that has to be matched) is one that rarely (almost never any longer) plays out. If the parties both want 5 years, that’s doable after the season as well. Of course, nobody really knows what the market for this particular player will be next year. The contracts signed in the summer of 2016 were said to be just a “new market” that people would have to adjust to. Turned out, not really. Regardless, though, the better team building move would be to wait, even if the price goes up. Another evaluation year, trade flexibility and the ability to price against a real market all point there.
Nice post per usual Dxc
I love the kiddos pointing out summer 16 these past few days – The level of understanding has entered the comical zone in here. Like playing darts with a blindfold on
Better not punch any walls now.
Tobias Harris is underpaid now compared to this contract lmao.
Forreal. Might need to extend him.
Tobias wishes he had Jadens ceiling…
He’s a good player. Who still has upside imo. Was a steal in the draft. But how do you go from 4 mill a yr to 26 mill a yr.
Get it while you can, I guess.
TWolves will never see a west Finals with KAT and Rudy. They are not a good mix. Move Rudy and they will have more success.
Watching Lowe try to defend this extension, was like justifying spending $25,000 on sides. Tell em about the sides. They cure cancer, that’s why they were so expensive. Jaden McDaniels obviously cures cancer, so you know worth 5/136M.