Jaden McDaniels’ $40 Million Timberwolves Deal Is Bigger Than It Looks
· Yahoo Sports
The Minnesota Timberwolves have spent years reshaping the roster around Anthony Edwards. Their latest move makes clear who they want beside him for the long haul.
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Jaden McDaniels agreed to a one-year, $40 million extension that keeps him under contract through the 2029-30 season. With three years already remaining on his previous deal, Minnesota had plenty of time before his future became an urgent question. The Wolves moved anyway. And the unusual agreement gives McDaniels something beyond another substantial payday: a stronger position to negotiate his next one.
According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, McDaniels became the first NBA player to extend a non-max contract with three years remaining. His desire to spend his entire career in Minnesota, if possible, helped drive the agreement.
For a franchise that has traded away several familiar faces while chasing a championship, that commitment carries weight. Minnesota keeps finding reasons to change. McDaniels keeps giving the organization reasons to hold on to him.
Why Jaden McDaniels accepted such an unusual extension
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY SportsMcDaniels previously had approximately $84 million remaining over three seasons. The additional year brings his total commitment to roughly $124 million over four years.
At first glance, that might seem like a strange arrangement. Why negotiate another contract so far ahead of free agency, particularly when it adds only one season? The answer involves both security and the rules governing his next extension.
A standard veteran extension can offer a starting salary of up to 140 percent of the salary in the final year of a player’s existing contract, subject to the applicable maximum. McDaniels’ previous deal ended with a salary of approximately $29.8 million. His new final-year salary of $40 million creates a considerably higher starting point for future negotiations.
The distinction matters. Applying that 140 percent limit to $40 million produces a potential starting salary of $56 million, compared with approximately $41.7 million using his previous final-year figure.
Those numbers represent possibilities, rather than promised earnings. McDaniels will still need to justify a major investment when he becomes eligible to extend again in 2028. The agreement nevertheless gives him an opportunity to negotiate from a much stronger position.
There is another potential benefit if he eventually reaches free agency. By 2030, McDaniels would have 10 years of NBA service, making him eligible for the league’s highest maximum-salary tier. Minnesota secures another season with an important starter. McDaniels receives additional guaranteed money while improving his options for the contract that follows.
The Timberwolves believe there is another level coming
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY SportsThe financial structure explains why the deal works. Minnesota’s belief in McDaniels explains why the organization wanted to make it happen.
According to The Athletic’s reporting, team leadership spent weeks negotiating the agreement and emphasizing how much it wanted him to stay. That included president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and the ownership group.
McDaniels has earned that confidence through his defense, availability and steady development. He has played at least 70 games in each of the past five seasons, giving Chris Finch a dependable perimeter defender to deploy against difficult assignments. The more intriguing question is how much offense Minnesota can get from him.
LaMelo Ball’s arrival should help. With Edwards and Ball attracting attention, McDaniels can attack gaps, cut behind distracted defenders and receive passes before an opening closes. He has an opportunity to become a more consistent offensive threat without needing to dominate possession.
Ball’s early assessment makes clear how highly he regards his new teammate.
“I love Jaden,” Ball said, according to The Athletic. “I mean, 6-10, can move, long, play defense, cut backdoor, shoot the 3. I mean, really anything you need. It’s like a damn near 2K player. It’s crazy.”
McDaniels has already shown what greater responsibility can bring. He delivered 32 points and 10 rebounds in Minnesota’s series-clinching Game 6 victory over Denver last postseason, stepping forward when Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo went down with injuries.
One performance cannot establish his offensive ceiling. It does give Minnesota evidence that he can do more when the situation demands it.
Minnesota is choosing continuity around Anthony Edwards
May 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) looks on against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half during game six of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn ImagesThere is also a human element to this agreement. Edwards and McDaniels entered the league together in 2020. They have developed through coaching changes, playoff disappointments and major trades, becoming the longest-tenured players on the roster.
Keeping that relationship intact matters as Minnesota introduces another version of its championship plan.
Edwards has been outspoken about his belief in McDaniels, recently calling him one of the NBA’s best two-way players. The extension gives that partnership another guaranteed season to grow. McDaniels, meanwhile, has described his progress as the result of consistent work and the environment around him.
“I didn’t know where I was going to be in like five years, where I would find myself,” he said earlier this preseason. “I kept working with my head down, just being around the right people, the right coaching, and I’m here today.”
The Wolves are paying for the player that process has produced. They are also investing in what they believe remains ahead.
After so many aggressive roster moves, Minnesota has made an equally revealing decision: McDaniels is a player it wants alongside Edwards well into the future.
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