The Minnesota Timberwolves are two days away from opening the 2026-27 season in Miami. But first, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly had some business to attend to Monday with starting wing Jaden McDaniels.
McDaniels is coming off the best offensive season of his career. He averaged a career-high 14.8 points and shot a career-best 41.2% on 3-pointers in 2025-26. That came two seasons after he made the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
Minnesota Timberwolves extend Jaden McDaniels for one year
The 26-year-old out Washington woke up today with three years remaining on on a five-year contract he signed back in 2023. According to Shams Charania (ESPN), he will go to sleep with four years now on that deal (good through 2029-30) and an additional $40 million guaranteed.
Why only one year? The new $40 million salary becomes the starting point for his next deal, which can be negotiated as soon as 2028. If McDaniels signs another extension then, it can start at up to 140% of $40 million, or as much as $56 million in the first year, per Shams.
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. pic.twitter.com/PYtDRrLves
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2026
Related: MN Timberwolves Trim Roster Ahead of Opening Night
McDaniels strategically secures an additional $40 million guaranteed for an additional season while protecting his upside and creating the flexibility to negotiate another extension as early as 2028 at a starting salary of up to 140% of the new higher $40M salary — or enter free
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2026
The Los Angeles Lakers took McDaniels 28th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and Minnesota acquired his draft rights. He’s spent all six of his NBA seasons with the Wolves, playing 439 games with 363 starts.
In 73 starts last season, McDaniels also shot 51.5% from the field and a career-best 83.5% from the free-throw line. He also averaged 4.2 rebounds, a career-high 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
Here’s what McDaniels is set to make over the next four seasons with the new year added on (plus what his next deal can now start at).
Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels contract year by year
| Season | Salary |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 | $26.2 million |
| 2027-28 | $28.0 million |
| 2028-29 | $29.8 million |
| 2029-30 (new) | $40 million |
| Next Contract | Starts at $56 million |
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That comes to about $124 million in total, and the new year pays him roughly $10.2 million more than he’ll make in the final year of his old contract (2028-29).
McDaniels and the Wolves tip off at 6:30 p.m. CT Wednesday, then visit the Orlando Magic on Friday before the home opener against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. It will be his first season playing alongside LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga.