The Minnesota Timberwolves' belief in Jaden McDaniels couldn't be clearer. They have long labelled him as virtually untouchable. However, recent reporting from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype put things into perspective as he noted that the Wolves would only trade him if it were for a blockbuster trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic.
Previous reporting from The Athletic indicated that the Wolves have even made McDaniels off limits in a move for Giannis. Scotto also noted the Los Angeles Clippers "poked around on McDaniels," including in a deal for Kawhi Leonard, but they were rebuffed.
As such, McDaniels is poised to stay with the Wolves unless something shocking happens.
Trurthfully, the Wolves' best chance to land a game-changing star would be to trade McDaniels. Scotto noted the Wolves gauged the trade value of Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and their No. 28 first-round pick. Realistically speaking, this package is unlikely to yield the Wolves a true star; maybe it could help them land a star with some serious flaws, such as Ja Morant.
The Wolves are wise to keep McDaniels even if they can't land a star
Now, I think most Wolves fans can agree that being so resistant to trading McDaniels could cost the Wolves a chance to land a top name. Where my stance might be more controversial is that I don't think this is a major problem. Stick with me for a second.
Okay, yes, if the Wolves could simply swap McDaniels for Giannis -- they should go down this avenue. However, it would take a lot more than simply McDaniels, ditto for any other top-tier star that could be available.
Simply contractually speaking, McDaniels makes $26.2 million a year. Thus, the Wolves would have to trade more players (and likely some of their limited picks) in a deal involving McDaniels.
For Giannis, we know the Milwaukee Bucks' price is Naz Reid, Terrence Shannon Jr. and the Wolves' two tradable firsts. That's a lot of risk for a 31-year-old with a track record of injuries.
Kawhi Leonard is likely the next best trade candidate available. Nevertheless, he makes $50.3 million a year, meaning it couldn't be a one-for-one swap. Leonard isn't risk-free either. He turns 35 this month, and he possibly wouldn't want to stay in Minnesota after his contract expires next season.
If you can trade Randle and Gobert for him, that's one thing. Regardless, trading the 25-year-old McDaniels (and more) for him wouldn't be wise from a future standpoint. After Giannis and Kawhi it's hard to find a true game-changing star who they Wolves could land by trading McDaniels.
McDaniels' two-way impact is immense. He is one of the league's best defenders both on and off the ball.
This past season, McDaniels averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 51.5/41.2/83.5 shooting splits. Yes, that's not star-level production, but he also didn't get star usage. McDaniels could surely reach another level. Even if he doesn't level up as a scorer, his two-way impact is something championship teams need.
The Wolves' best path forward
And while the Wolves do need to re-shuffle their team around Anthony Edwards, they don't need to go all-in on a star at any cost. The Wolves view McDaniels as a key long-term piece of their core and rightfully so.
The Wolves would be best served by seeing what value they can get for Randle and Rudy Gobert. If that can land them a star-level player who fits smoothly alongside the core, then great. Again, though, I would assume that a package centered around Randle or Gobert would only allow the Wolves to land a flawed star.
Still, finding another high-end complementary piece, such as Jalen Suggs or Derrick White and hoping someone can scale up into a second-option role could pay dividends. This feels like an ideal and realistic outcome for the Wolves this summer.
I think it's possible that McDaniels can be a second-option-level player with a bigger role. It's also vital to note that the NBA is trending away from star power and more toward fit and depth.
I can understand why some fans are concerned by the Wolves' unwillingness to trade McDaniels in any deal. Nevertheless, there are a lot of factors at play and ultimately keeping McDaniels could pay off both in the short and long term, even if they don't land a star.
