The Minnesota Timberwolves have high hopes for the 2023-24 season. That’s in large part due to Anthony Edwards’ continued leap into superstardom, alongside Karl-Anthony Towns being actually healthy and in good spirits coming into the season. However, to achieve their goals of being a top-6 squad in the West this year, they’ll need more than just good seasons from their top stars.
One of the players the Wolves are particularly high on is Jaden McDaniels, who had a tremendous 2022-23 season, emerging as one of the NBA’s best wing defenders before missing the playoffs with a broken hand after punching a wall at the end of the regular season. On offense, McDaniels became a reliable knockdown shooter as well (39.8 percent from three), and his ability to space the floor and provide high-end defense is something every team in the league is looking for. As such, on Monday, the Timberwolves agreed to a hefty contract extension to keep him in Minnesota long-term, inking him to a 5-year, $136 million deal.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels has agreed to a five-year, $136M contract extension, his agents Nima Namakian of @InnovateSports and Bill Duffy of @WME_Sports tell me and @JonKrawczynski.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2023
That’s a big contract, but for a Wolves team without a lot of options to add high level talent from the outside, they have to lock up their best players when they can. With McDaniels signed, they now have four players making $30+ million, which will put plenty of pressure on the Wolves to be a contender in the West this season, as they’re set to hit the luxury tax for the first time in two decades next year. You can bet ownership will want the team to be in the hunt for a top-4 spot in the West, which is a very difficult level to reach given the talent throughout the conference.
