The 2026-27 season could mark a before and after in Jaden McDaniels’ career. After several years of steady progression and playoffs in which he showed he could shoulder the load when the stars weren’t on the floor, the departures of Randle and Reid promise to make him an even more important figure in the Timberwolves’ rotation. And as proof that Minnesota trusts him with that role, he has been rewarded for his work with an extension.
This was announced in the early hours by Shams Charania, journalist at ESPN, who reveals that the forward has agreed to extend his commitment to the franchise for one more season in exchange for $40 million. In this way, given that he still has three seasons remaining on the five-year, $131 million deal he signed in 2023, the Minneapolis club ties him down until 2030, confirming him as a fundamental pillar of a project that is otherwise in constant flux.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Defense forward Jaden McDaniels has agreed to a one-year, $40 million extension that will keep him under contract through the 2029-30 season, agents Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Basketball tell ESPN. https://t.co/PYtDRrLves
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 20, 2026
McDaniels comes off averaging 14.8 points and 4.2 rebounds, figures he always complements with strong defensive work thanks to his physical tools. However, in the postseason he showed he was capable of giving more, producing an incredible series against the Denver Nuggets in which he raised his output to 17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds, including standout performances such as the 32 points with which he closed out the series in Game 6.
This generates optimism about his ability to keep evolving next season, in which he will nonetheless face another challenge: the lack of players at the 4 spot on the roster. McDaniels appears, alongside Jonathan Kuminga, destined to try to fill that gap, forcing him to push his defensive versatility a step further to sustain a team that has bet on having almost all its weapons in the backcourt.