Anthony Edwards on Jaden McDaniels: one of the NBA’s best two-way players, and ‘20, 25 points easy’

MINNEAPOLIS — Oct. 14, 2026 — Anthony Edwards did not love how the Minnesota Timberwolves handled Detroit’s physicality on Wednesday night. He did love what he is seeing from Jaden McDaniels. After a 128-106 preseason loss at Target Center, Edwards said the forward is one of the league’s best two-way players and, with more touches, can average 20 to 25 points.

Edwards finished with 20 points, three assists and two steals in 28 minutes. He shot 5-of-15 from the field, 1-of-5 from three and 9-of-9 at the line. McDaniels had 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in 23 minutes on 2-of-6 shooting and 7-of-7 free throws. Jonathan Kuminga added 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

LaMelo Ball started alongside Edwards and managed three points and six assists in 18 minutes. Minnesota fell to 1-2 in the preseason.

‘One of the best two-way players in the NBA’

Edwards said he and Ball’s gravity leaves weaker defenders on McDaniels and Kuminga, and Minnesota’s job is to feed those mismatches.

“Just being aggressive. Exploiting the mismatches,” Edwards said. “They can’t really guard ’em. They try to put the worst defenders on ’em, so just trying to give it to them and let them play in space.”

He wanted more of the same actions that free McDaniels. “Just trying to get them the ball, put them in actions, ball screens, clear sides to let them be aggressive and attack,” Edwards said.

Asked what looks unlocked about McDaniels this preseason, Edwards pointed to involvement, not talent.

“Just him being more involved in the offense,” Edwards said. “I think Jaden is one of the best two-way players in the NBA, if not the best. So just him getting more touches in ball screen actions, being more involved, I think he’s gonna average 20, 25 points easy because he just knows how to play the game.”

When Detroit’s pressure made it hard to enter those actions, Edwards’ fix was simple. “We just can’t forget he out there,” he said. “It’s just that simple.”

McDaniels on taking the smaller defender

McDaniels said he notices when teams put a smaller defender on him and does not force the issue — he just takes the advantage when the ball finds him.

“Yeah, I’d be aware,” he said. “I don’t really like force nothing, but yeah, I know that the weaker defender behind me and I just take advantage when I get the ball.”

He shrugged at the matching. “They can’t put them on Ant or Melo or JK,” McDaniels said. “So they can put them on me. I don’t care. I’m going to take advantage of it every time.”

On his role in the offense, he stayed unbothered. “As long as I touch the ball, I’m cool,” McDaniels said. “I’m not really stressed about nothing. I’m just trying to win and play the right way.”

Why it matters

Minnesota has traded Julius Randle’s isolation for Ball’s playmaking, and Edwards is already treating McDaniels as a featured option rather than a help defender who spots up. The Wolves close the preseason at Chicago on Friday. Opening night is Oct. 21.