Here’s where Washington’s Jaden McDaniels was picked in the 2020 NBA Draft
Jaden McDaniels was selected No. 28 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday. While McDaniels was technically drafted by the Los Angles Lakers, the pick was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A former standout for Federal Way High School, McDaniels (6-9, 200) declared for the draft after his freshman season at Washington. It’s the second straight year the Timberwolves picked a player out of UW. They took guard Jaylen Nowell in the second round of the 2019 draft.
“He’s obviously exceptionally talented,” UW head coach Mike Hopkins said in a statemnt. “The thing that separates him is that he’s an elite competitor. That competitive nature will definitely carry his talent. He can handle adversity and I believe that’s going to make him a great pro. He is always working on his game and is very coachable. He learned, listened, accepted everything thrown at him last season, he just wanted to help the team win.
“Whoever gets him, he’s going to be a great steal in the NBA and his consistency comes with maturing. He’s got such an upside to his growth. He’s a young player that just kept getting better and better last year. He can play the 2, 3 or the 4, forward or guard, he’s got great vision and wants to help his teammates get better. He can also really defend. He can guard 1-4, he can move his feet laterally as good as anyone I’ve seen at that size. That all translates. His shooting was improving throughout the year and I think he’s going to be the steal of this draft.”
McDaniels struggled to find consistency during the 2019-20 season. He played in 27 games for UW, starting 20. An exceptional athlete, McDaniels averaged 13.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 blocks in 31.1 minutes per game. But he also averaged 2.2 turnovers, led the Pac-12 in personal fouls (100) and was called for six technical fouls.
McDaniels is UW’s 13th first-round pick since draft switched to two rounds in 1989. He is the ninth first-round pick since 2002 for the Huskies and the sixth in the past five drafts.
Former teammate Isaiah Stewart was picked No. 16 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, but he’s expected to be traded to the Detroit Pistons. With the selection of Stewart and McDaniels, UW now has two first rounders for the first time since the 2016 season with Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray. It’s also just the third time in program history that two Huskies have been taken in the first round.
McDaniels started just one of UW’s final 10 games but seemed to embrace his role coming off the bench. He hit his stride down the stretch, reaching double figures in the final five games of the season.
One of his best performances came in the Huskies’ victory at Arizona in the regular-season finale. He scored 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and addd six rebounds and three blocks.
“Jaden is an elite defender, if he’s at the forward, if he’s at the center, if he’s at the point guard, whatever it may be,” Hopkins said in November. “He just moves, flies around. He’s got great length. He’s got great instincts. It poses a different problem. He’s good all around the court.”
Both McDaniels and Stewart arrived at UW as five-star recruits and McDonald’s All-Americans. McDaniels was considered by 247Sports to be the No. 8 player in the Class of 2019.
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 7:46 PM.
