What’s the Next Step For Jaden McDaniels?

For years, Jaden McDaniels was the player Minnesota Timberwolves fans argued about more than any other. The defense was never in question. He was already one of the league’s premier stoppers, the guy who drew the toughest assignments every night. The argument was always about the other end, and whether the offensive game would ever catch up to the defensive one.

Last year, it finally did.

Jaden McDaniels posted career highs across the board last season. He finished with 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 51.5% from the floor and 41.2% from three on 3.4 attempts per contest. However, his leap in efficiency is the real headline. His 61.1% true shooting mark ranked among the best in the league for a high-volume wing. That number would have sounded absurd just two seasons ago, when he was hovering in the low 30s from deep.

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He wasn’t just stat padding. Minnesota finished 49-33 and reached the second round of the playoffs. McDaniels raised his game in the postseason, averaging 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds on a heavier 33.8-minute workload before the Wolves fell to the San Antonio Spurs in six games. When Anthony Edwards was out, McDaniels became the clear second option and thrived. He averaged 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in those 14 games. That’s the clearest signal yet that he’s ready for a bigger offensive role.

So what’s the next step in 2026-27? It’s not about becoming a 25-point scorer. That’s not his job, and it shouldn’t be. It’s about going from “efficient complementary piece” to a “reliable third star on a contender.”

First, McDaniels must increase his volume. He only took 11.1 shots per game last season. With defenses increasingly selling out to contain Edwards and Rudy Gobert’s interior gravity, McDaniels is going to see more clean catch-and-shoot looks and more attacking closeouts than ever. If he can push his three-point volume from 3.4 to around 5 attempts while keeping his percentage above 40%, he becomes unguardable as a floor spacer, the kind of wing every championship team needs.

The second is playmaking. His assist rate jumped to a career-best 16.4%, and he showed real growth reading defenses off the dribble, finding cutters and kick-out shooters. The next evolution is making the simple, on-time pass out of pressure rather than forcing contested middles. A jump to the 3.5 to 4 assist range would meaningfully change Minnesota’s halfcourt offense.

The third, and this is the one that matters most to Wolves fans, is availability and consistency. McDaniels has fought foul trouble and the occasional offensive disappearance his entire career. He’s always been the defender the coaching staff trusts in the biggest moments, but the true leap is becoming a player who delivers on both ends of the floor every single night, not just in the marquee matchups.

The good news is the organization believes he hasn’t reached his ceiling. President Tim Connelly said McDaniels still has “plenty of room to grow.” When the architect of a roster that just won 49 games and pushed deep into the playoffs says the best is still ahead, it’s worth listening.

Expect Jaden McDaniels to enter 2026-27 as a 16-18 point scorer and a legitimate All-Defense First Team candidate. If he continues to shoot well and his role expands, he’ll become a first-time All-Star. The mystery is solved. Now it’s about what he can become.