NBA Expert Eric Pincus: Why Jaden McDaniels’ US$40 Million Timberwolves Extension Works for Both Sides

With the 2026-27 National Basketball Association (NBA) campaign kicking off on Tuesday (October 20), Monday was the deadline for veterans still under multi-year contracts to sign extensions.

At the buzzer, the Minnesota Timberwolves rewarded forward Jaden McDaniels with a one-year, $40 million deal.

McDaniels, who was already under contract through the 2028-29 season with $84 million remaining, gets a commitment bump to $124 million. That’s a slight discount for the Timberwolves, about $1.7 million below McDaniels’ 140 percent extension max. He could also have signed a two-year extension for $86.8 million in new money.

Why it works for McDaniels

After his new contract ends in 2029-30, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent with 10 years of service, making him eligible for the top-tier maximum salary at 35 percent of the salary cap—a figure that initially projects to reach $74.8 million. Or McDaniels can extend again in two years to a deal starting at $56 million.

What comes next depends on his career trajectory. He’s a top-tier defender, listed at 6-foot-9, on a team that lost significant size in the offseason, trading Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets and Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets for point guard LaMelo Ball. McDaniels averaged a career-high 14.8 points per game last season, shooting an impressive 41.2 percent from 3-point range. With a larger role in the Timberwolves’ offense, he could reach borderline All-Star status as early as this year.

Minnesota locks in certainty. If McDaniels breaks out as hoped, he won’t face free agency in 2029; the potential jump to a top-tier salary won’t come until 2030. While $40 million is a substantial commitment, his figure won’t be a burden, with the salary cap projected to climb each season.

It’s a win for both sides. McDaniels can hedge against the unpredictability of the NBA season, where injuries can derail promising careers, and still secure a nearly 48 percent increase in guaranteed salary. The Timberwolves continue to cement their long-term core built around All-Star Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, Ball, and McDaniels.

Minnesota projects as at least a top-five team in the Western Conference, with its upside hinging on the Edwards/Ball backcourt paired with McDaniels on the wing. Edwards and Ball are only 25; McDaniels and Dosunmu are 26. A larger question is how long Rudy Gobert, 34, will hold up as the team’s defensive anchor.

Keep an eye on Joan Beringer, the 19-year-old French seven-footer, who should get a real chance to back up Gobert this season.