Report: Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels Contract Options Exercised by Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have exercised the third-year team options on Anthony Edwards' and Jaden McDaniels' rookie-scale contracts, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Both players were selected by the team in the 2020 NBA draft, with Edwards going No. 1 overall. The deadline for teams to exercise rookie options is Nov. 1.
Edwards, 20, had an excellent rookie season, averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from three. He was a finalist for Rookie of the Year, won by Charlotte's LaMelo Ball.
Edwards is a key part of Minnesota's foundation for the foreseeable future, joining Karl Anthony-Towns and D'Angelo Russell as core pieces. The Wolves picking up his third-year option was a foregone conclusion.
McDaniels, the 28th overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft, looks capable of being a nice role player for the Wolves going forward. The 21-year-old averaged 6.8 points in 63 appearances, largely coming off the bench for the team.
But while he was toward the end of the rotation early in the season, he became a regular contributor as his rookie year progressed, seeing 28.4 minutes per game after the All-Star break, averaging 8.3 points per contest during that time.
Much of McDaniels' staying power in the NBA will come down to his three-point shot. He was solid in that regard as a rookie, hitting on 36.4 of his opportunities from beyond the arc. In a league that is even pushing centers out past the three-point line, perimeter shooting can be the difference between a regular role and barely seeing any minutes at all.
Defense and three-point shooting is always in demand for role players. McDaniels is on the right track in that regard.
"He's going to be special. I've said that since Day One, and I think everyone on this team knows just what Jaden will be," star center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters last week. "Man, we got lucky. We got really lucky to get him. He's improving every day. He's getting more experience. He's putting muscle on his body. He's becoming the player that we hoped he would become. He's a special, special, special specimen."
