Timberwolves agree to 1-year, $40M extension with McDaniels

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  Jamal CollierOct 19, 2026, 09:59 PM ET

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  Jamal Collier is an NBA reporter at ESPN. Collier covers the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and the Midwest region of the NBA, including stories such as Minnesota's iconic jersey swap between Anthony Edwards and Justin Jefferson. He has been at ESPN since Sept. 2021 and previously covered the Bulls for the Chicago Tribune. You can reach out to Jamal on Twitter @JamalCollier or via email Jamal.Collier@espn.com.

Minnesota Timberwolves All-Defensive 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 told ESPN's Shams Charania on Monday.

The deal will allow McDaniels to negotiate another extension as early as 2028, starting at a salary of up to 140% of his $40 million salary. He could also choose to enter free agency in the summer of 2030 as a 10-year veteran.

McDaniels signed a five-year, $136 million deal in 2023. With the extension, Minnesota has $124 million committed to the 26-year-old forward over the next four years.

McDaniels is coming off a career year in 2025-26. He averaged 14.8 points on 51.5% shooting (41% from 3), all of which were career highs, to go along with 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. His production improved in the playoffs, where he upped his scoring to 16.3 points on 44% shooting, including a 32-point performance in Game 6 to help eliminate the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

Since the Wolves selected McDaniels with the No. 28 pick in the 2020 draft, he has developed into a critical part of their core alongside Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and the newly acquired LaMelo Ball. McDaniels is the team's premier perimeter defender; he had the fourth-most defensive matchups against 2026 All-Stars last season, according to GeniusIQ.

But his offensive output has also been on the rise in recent years, which prompted Edwards to say before the start of the season that he expects McDaniels to make an All-Star team this season.