The older McDaniels has already played in 248 NBA games.
The Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards’ G League affiliate, have acquired the returning player rights for Jalen McDaniels in a trade with the Memphis Hustle, the G League affiliate of the Grizzlies. In return, the Hustle will receive the Go-Go’s first and second round picks in the 2026 NBA G League Draft and the returning player rights to Max Heidegger.
McDaniels, the older brother of Minnesota’s elite defender Jaden McDaniels, has been a productive NBA player across five NBA seasons. To date, he’s played 248 NBA games, suiting up for the Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors. In that time, he’s averaged 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, .7 steals, and .3 blocks.
Listed at 6-9, the switchable forward uses his length and athleticism to guard multiple positions. Unfortunately for McDaniels, he’s only a career 32.2% three-point shooter on 2.2 attempts per game and that inability to stretch the floor is part of the reason he finds himself off an NBA roster.
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The former 52nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of San Diego State has previously had success in the G League. In 33 games for the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ affiliate, McDaniels averaged 16.2 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
McDaniels could competently fill in and play spot minutes for the Wizards later in the season if they needed to promote someone on a 10-Day contract later in the season due to injury. Given that he’s played more than four NBA seasons already he’s ineligible to be added on a Two-Way contract which means he’d have to wait for a roster spot to be created to be signed directly by the Wizards.
He’s also an instant floor-raiser for the Go-Go. If the main focus of that team is to develop young, intriguing players, pairing them with a capable forward like McDaniels should help make all of their lives easier. However, McDaniels is already pushing 27 years old and not likely in the organization’s long-term plans. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be productive to see McDaniels take minutes away that could go to development projects like Tristan Vukcevic or John Butler Jr.