Oct 7, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) brings the ball up court against the Indiana Pacers at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Oct 7, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) brings the ball up court against the Indiana Pacers at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed Jaden McDaniels to a one-year, $40 million contract extension tonight. According to Shams Charania, ESPN’s senior NBA insider, the move was a tactical decision that could benefit McDaniels long-term.
“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,” Charania reported.
“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 agency in 2030 with 10 years of NBA service. The 26-year-old now has a total of four years and $124M on his Wolves deal,” Charania further added.
Estimates suggest the salary cap would expand to over $220 million in 2029-30 after the imminent CBA negotiations. This means a player with 10 years of service in the league could earn approximately $71.4 million in salary after the updated CBA.
So McDaniels will be in a prime position to guarantee significantly more money than he has now if he stays patient and sees out his contract with the Timberwolves until the summer of 2028, when he becomes eligible for another extension.
Most NBA fans reacted with mixed feelings to this update. Some thought it was an overpay, while others felt McDaniels got the money and flexibility he deserves.
“Mentions full of casuals. Jaden is elite.”
“FORTY MILLION, EXCUSE ME?????”
“W by the Wolves. This is money well spent if you know ball. Jaden is elite 🐐.”
“40 mil a year for a role player 😭😭👌👌.”
“Anybody saying overpay is telling on themselves.”
“What the hell kinda deal is that?”
“Much deserved after that Denver series.”
Jaden McDaniels has cemented himself as a key figure in the Timberwolves’ future plans since earning All-Defensive second-team recognition in the 2023-24 season and working his way up to become a regular starter and an indispensable part of their long-term plans.
The 26-year-old former first-round pick had a career-best year in the 2025-26 season. McDaniels averaged 15.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, shooting 50.3% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc in 85 games (including the playoffs).
Moreover, despite Anthony Edwards missing two key games (Games 5 and 6 of their first-round series) in the 2026 playoffs, Jaden McDaniels led a significantly shorthanded Timberwolves to a win over the Nuggets.
With Julius Randle now gone, Jaden McDaniels has clearly earned the front office’s trust as their long-term starter. The Timberwolves’ head coach, Chris Finch, claimed earlier this summer that he has faith in the locker-room voice and on-court leader Jaden McDaniels has become.
“I think ultimately you have to lead by example. So I would put him in the “team leader” category. Ultimately, his team knows what drives Jaden; they know the consistency of his approach — his effort and professionalism are always there.”
“They know that he has always got their back, even to the point where he is one of our most feisty guys, one of our instigators. And they love all that about him. Can he be more vocal? I hope so. But it is not that — he has always been the guy who says simple things, like ‘We’re bullsh—ing here,’ things like that,” Finch said.
“And so when the guys who rarely or never speak do speak, you listen to them. But we purposefully haven’t added a bunch of veterans to the team this year. My approach with Ant, with Jaden, or with all these guys is: if we’re going to take the diapers off, let’s take the diapers off.”
“Like, it’s your team now. What you say and the way you say it, and setting the tone from the first days of practice; that stuff matters. And it’s time. It is seven years in the league. I feel like Jaden will do his part in that.”
“But I have learned that it is not fair to put players in positions — you think about other things in life; if someone asks you to be outside yourself to do something, it is uncomfortable. And that can drive anxiety all the time: “I’m supposed to be this other thing,” Finch concluded.
At the end of the day, Jaden McDaniels is far from overpaid. Those questioning his $40 million extension overlook how important he is to the Timberwolves. His elite perimeter defense, improved offense, and playoff-clutch ability make him one of the Timberwolves’ most valuable pieces.
At 26, McDaniels is entering his prime and has already proven he can step up when the team needs him most. With the salary cap expected to rise significantly after the next CBA negotiations, McDaniels’ $40 million salary could look much more reasonable in a few years.
As contracts keep getting bigger across the league, this extension might not seem like the overpay some fans think it is today. The Timberwolves aren’t just paying a role player; they’re investing in a proven two-way player entering his prime.
Given what McDaniels brings defensively, his growing offensive game, and his importance to the team’s future, the Timberwolves have every reason to believe this deal will pay off and isn’t an overpay. But it remains to be seen how things turn out.
Chaitanya Dadhwal is an NBA Analyst and Columnist at Fadeaway World, based in New Delhi, India. His passion for basketball began in 2018 after watching James Harden during his prime, eventually leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism in 2021. He began writing professionally while completing his law degree at Jindal Global Law School in Sonipat, India, where he graduated in 2022 and developed a particular interest in Sports Law. Chaitanya ultimately chose journalism over a career in law after realizing that his passion for sports, and basketball in particular, was where he wanted to build his career. His work focuses on breaking down complex NBA storylines, analyzing player and team decisions, and presenting different sides of an argument to provide readers with a balanced perspective. While he strives to maintain an objective approach in his journalism, Chaitanya openly admits to being a passionate supporter of the Houston Rockets and Arsenal. That combination of analytical thinking and personal passion allows him to simplify complex ideas and present them in an accessible way for basketball fans. Beyond journalism, Chaitanya hopes to establish his own sports management agency and represent athletes. His long-term goal is to help create greater equality of opportunity for athletes across different sports and genders, using his legal background and experience in sports media to help bridge gaps within the industry.