Jaden McDaniels as the X-Factor in Team Dark Horse Giannis
With NBA trade deadline in just a few days, one of the biggest questions is what The Milwaukee Bucks will decide what to do about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future. There is no doubt about it several teams are interested in the Bucks star even while recovering from a calf injury. The Minnesota Timberwolves are supposedly a team of dark horses for Giannis trade, if Jaden McDaniels became available, according to ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel.
During a recent episode of Clutch Scoops, Siegel laid out a scenario where the Timberwolves could suddenly be thrust into the forefront of a potential Giannis trade by Thursday’s trade deadline.
“They look like a tricky team in the Giannis race. And that’s because, Jaden McDaniels, if they suddenly make him available, you could probably get three, maybe even four picks in the first round for him,” Siegel said. “Maybe a Mikal Bridges-type trade for Jaden McDaniels needs to be made. And if that happens, the Timberwolves will suddenly have the means to make this trade happen before Thursday.”
There’s no question that McDaniels would draw a lot of interest around the league in a potential trade, but so far there has been no indication that the Timberwolves would make him available. If they did, they could probably land a return package that would interest the Bucks in moving Giannis.
McDaniels has emerged as one of the best defenders in the NBA and is also a strong scoring option. This season, he appeared in 48 games with just over 32 minutes per game. He averaged a season-high 14.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks on 51.2 percent shooting from the field, 44.5 percent from the 3-point line and 84.9 percent from the free throw line.
2026-02-02 22:03:00
