They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels.
At the 2023 All-Star weekend in Utah, Anthony Edwards spoke on the SiriusXM NBA Radio network about the Brooklyn Nets trading Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. At the time, the Minnesota Timberwolves were struggling to find a rhythm with newcomer Rudy Gobert on the roster. They were eighth in the Western Conference at the All-Star break with a 31-30 record.
The West became more difficult when Durant landed in Phoenix and Irving in Dallas. However, that didn’t shake Edwards’ unwavering confidence in himself and his team.
“I’m a competitor, man,” Edwards said on Sirius XM. “I feel like I am just as good as any one of those guys who got traded. And I feel like I can guard any one of them. They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels, who can guard them. … We’re here for it, man. We’re young.”
Some made fun of Ant for his comments, particularly regarding McDaniels. It was a confident claim from a player who has quickly developed into Minnesota’s franchise cornerstone. It was a claim derived from the same confidence that led the Timberwolves to sweep Durant and the Suns in the first round last season, igniting two-straight Western Conference Finals appearances for the franchise.
but we got Jaden McDaniels. pic.twitter.com/WodzLikaxe
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) June 18, 2025
His proclamation at All-Star weekend in 2023 went viral amongst Wolves fans. They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels. For the last two years, it’s been fun for fans to call back to the sound bite while the Wolves are playing the Suns or when McDaniels hits a mid-range shot like KD.
But now, the quote turned meme takes on a new meaning. KD is on a new team, and McDaniels is primed to take the leap his team has always envisioned he would.
On Sunday afternoon, we found out where Durant will play next season after weeks of anticipation. The Suns are sending Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, this year’s No. 10 pick, and five future second-round picks.
The Timberwolves were in the mix for Durant since the trade deadline in February, but The Athletic‘s Jon Krawczynski reported on June 14 that a trade involving KD and the Wolves was not close to happening. Minnesota had assets that intrigued the Suns, but the Timberwolves were not on KD’s list of preferred trade destinations, and he reportedly had “no desire” to play in Minnesota.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania said that the Rockets, Wolves, and Miami Heat were “one or two pieces away” from getting a deal for Durant done.
We may never know what the Wolves offered Phoenix for Durant. Still, we know that Tim Connelly didn’t include McDaniels in any proposed package, which could have been partly why Minnesota never seemed close to acquiring Durant.
KD is still playing at an elite level. He averaged 26.6 points over 62 games last season, shooting 52.7% from the floor, 43% from deep, and 83.9% from the free throw line. However, the Wolves know what they have in McDaniels — a lengthy, near 7-foot wing built similarly to KD who has been radiating with potential since he entered the NBA with All-Defensive team chops and a unique offensive skillset.
McDaniels has seemingly been an untouchable asset since the Wolves drafted him. It has always been about Jaden’s capabilities and the potential he has to be a great player. The Wolves have placed much stock in him eventually leaping into their offensive nucleus next to Anthony Edwards.
McDaniels is primed to take that step right now.
Over the final 40 games of the regular season this year, McDaniels averaged 14.4 points on 49.8% shooting. In the playoffs, he averaged 14.7 points on 51.5% shooting. McDaniels must use that kind of consistent production as a springboard for next season. To do that, Jaden knows what to focus on this summer.
“Everything offensively,” he said. “Shooting 3s, mid-range, my ball-handling especially, just being able to create off the dribble and ensure everything is pretty tight. Defense, always. But yeah, just all three levels of scoring.”
McDaniels also had an impressive postseason showing last year. He averaged 12.2 points on 51.4% from the floor and 42.9% from deep. McDaniels’ efficiency in all areas of the court had many expecting big things from him immediately this year. However, Finch initially deployed McDaniels incorrectly, which caused Jaden to have a lamentable start to the season.
That was partly due to the Wolves integrating Julius Randle into their offense on the fly and McDaniels getting lost in the shuffle. However, something similar shouldn’t hinder McDaniels this season.
With Durant off the board, it’s increasingly likely that the Wolves will have a quiet off-season. Perhaps they re-sign Randle and Naz Reid, add some talent in the draft, and enter the 2025-26 campaign ready to give consistent minutes to the young guys.
If Tim Connelly leaves most of last season’s rotation intact, McDaniels should immediately be comfortable with his role, ready to build on last year’s success and show off his summer work.
For a Wolves team that knows it must capitalize on its championship window, McDaniels must become a consistent scoring option. With Durant in Houston and no other star seemingly on the Wolves’ radar, Minnesota’s internal development will be paramount in determining whether they can get past the Oklahoma City Thunder next year.
“I think the sky is the limit,” Connelly said regarding McDaniels during his exit interview. “I think he’s one of the best young players in the NBA. His mid-range game is unbelievably underappreciated. His ability to get shots.”
“Obviously, the last few years, his numbers in the playoffs are reflective of a guy who is not scared of the moment … He’s already really, really good, but we think he has a chance to be great.”
The Wolves don’t need McDaniels to be great next year. However, they need him to be consistently good — which he was over the final 50% of the season — and continue to blossom into the player the Wolves have hoped he would become. During the second half of the season, Finch realized the best role for McDaniels in the offense is to keep him involved in screening actions, put the ball in his hands frequently, and use him around the rim when he’s off the ball.
It will be imperative that Finch prioritizes all of those things again in 2025-26, no matter who is on the court.
“Jaden is incredible,” Edwards said in late April. “People kind of made fun of me, maybe like three years ago, for my comments that I made about Jaden, but I mean, look at him. He’s been playing phenomenal. Every game, all year. Ups and downs. No matter what, he stays with us very coachable.”
They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels.
Ant’s quote takes on a new meaning. Houston has KD now, not Phoenix. And the McDaniels that the Wolves have is no longer the hope of what he can become. No, the time is now for McDaniels to take that highly anticipated step and blossom into the reliable, versatile, and unique offensive weapon that Minnesota has invested in him becoming.