Wolves Confirm McDaniels Has Broken Hand, Out Indefinitely
Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels has sustained fractures of the third and fourth metacarpals of his right hand, the team announced in a press release.
According to the Wolves, the third-year small forward has been placed in a cast and is out indefinitely.
While Minnesota didn’t provide a recovery timeline, Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com notes (via Twitter) that Pistons big man Marvin Bagley III sustained a similar injury in 2022/23 and missed 19 games and 54 days after undergoing surgery (20 total games). Based on that rough timeline, the Wolves will have to make a very deep postseason run for McDaniels to have a chance to return — the NBA Finals tip off on June 1.
The 22-year-old broke his hand on Sunday when he punched a wall in the arena tunnel out of frustration after picking up a couple early fouls. Sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) that McDaniels apologized to the team and took responsibility for his error in judgment. Krawczynski points out that McDaniels went down a tunnel that was covered in a plastic curtain and was unaware of the concrete wall behind it.
McDaniels is the team’s top wing defender and had his best offensive season to date, averaging 12.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .517/.398/.736 shooting in 79 games, all starts (30.6 MPG). He will eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.
In other Minnesota health news, guard Jaylen Nowell is trending in a positive direction for Tuesday’s play-in game against the Lakers, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SkorNorth (Twitter link). Nowell has missed 17 of the past 20 games due to left knee tendinopathy.
Northwest Notes: Gobert, McDaniels, Grant, Giddey
The Timberwolves haven’t determined if Rudy Gobert will accompany the team for Tuesday’s play-in game against the Lakers, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Gobert was sent home during Sunday’s contest after a fight on the bench with teammate Kyle Anderson that reignited at halftime. Head coach Chris Finch told reporters that he will talk with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly before making a final decision on Gobert’s status.
Krawczynski sheds a little more light on the incident, revealing that Gobert was experiencing back spasms Sunday and Anderson pushed him to play because the Wolves needed a win to avoid falling into the 9-10 play-in matchup. Gobert started the game, but his movement was limited by the back condition. During a timeout, Anderson snapped at him to improve his defense and Gobert responded with a punch that hit Anderson in the left shoulder before they were quickly separated.
Gobert was escorted to the locker room with 4:37 left in the first half, but he and Anderson confronted each other again during halftime. Connelly and assistant GM Dell Demps had to calm down the situation and made the decision to have Gobert leave the arena.
Gobert issued a public apology on Twitter Sunday night, admitting that “emotions got the best of me today.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jaden McDaniels‘ broken right hand was a result of frustration after being whistled for two early fouls on Sunday, Krawczynski adds. McDaniels walked down the tunnel to try to calm down and wound up punching a wall, leaving the Timberwolves to prepare for the Lakers without their best perimeter defender. “Certainly immaturity has been one of our issues all season,” Finch said.
- Jerami Grant is pondering a four-year, $112MM extension offer from the Trail Blazers, but even if he opts for free agency it sounds like there’s a good chance he’ll stay in Portland, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. “I definitely like it here,” Grant said. “I’m looking forward to the talks and trying to figure something out. I definitely feel comfortable here.”
- With a play-in spot already wrapped up, the Thunder had the luxury of resting their rotation players on Sunday, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. There’s plenty of optimism in Oklahoma City after a top-10 finish in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season. “From where we were last year to this year, it speaks volumes to what we’ve been able to do and how much we’ve been able to improve,” Josh Giddey said. “As long as we stay on this right path, I think this team and this organization is gonna be in good hands for a long time.”
Rudy Gobert Punches Kyle Anderson; McDaniels Fractures Hand
5:23pm: McDaniels has a fractured hand, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Minnesota’s President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, addressing the Gobert situation, didn’t specify whether he would take further action against Gobert, Wojnarowski tweets: “We made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home after the incident in the second quarter. His behavior on the bench was unacceptable and we will continue handling the situation internally.”
4:23pm: Rudy Gobert was sent home by the Timberwolves after he punched teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout on Sunday afternoon, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
In a video posted by Backcourt Alerts (Twitter link), Gobert and Anderson could be seen standing up and arguing with each other. Gobert lurched forward and took a swing at Anderson, hitting him in the chest. Anderson then had to be restrained from retaliating.
Minnesota is in the midst of a pivotal game against New Orleans. The Timberwolves could be seeded anywhere from seventh to ninth in the Western Conference play-in tournament, depending on the outcome of that game and the Lakers’ game against Utah.
Interestingly and somewhat ironically, Gobert commented about Anderson’s leadership skills to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link) on Saturday.
“Kyle wants to win and sometimes he’s a little aggressive in the way he talks, but I don’t take it personally,” Gobert said a day ago. “I receive it in a positive way because it comes from a place of wanting me to be the best Rudy I can be and wanting us to win. I love his competitiveness, love the way he plays the game.”
In a separate development, forward Jaden McDaniels left the game with a right hand injury, the team’s PR department tweets. McDaniels apparently suffered the injury when he punched a wall while exiting the court, Pelicans Film Room tweets.
It’s obviously an ominous way for Minnesota to enter the play-in tournament for the second straight season. It remains to be seen whether Gobert will draw a team suspension for his actions, which would put it at a disadvantage up front. Minnesota’s key frontcourt reserve, Naz Reid, underwent wrist surgery on Wednesday.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Joe, Ingles, McDaniels
As Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscription required) writes, the Trail Blazers looked ready on Friday to pull the plug on the 2022/23 season.
Having slipped out of the play-in race during a recent six-game losing streak, Portland ruled out Damian Lillard (right calf tightness) and Jusuf Nurkic (right knee soreness) for Friday’s game vs. Chicago and ran out a starting lineup made up of Ryan Arcidiacono, Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Trendon Watford, and Drew Eubanks. The outcome was predictable, with the Blazers losing to the Bulls by 28 points.
With the Trail Blazers now sitting at 32-41, three-and-a-half games back of the No. 10 seed in the West with nine games to go, there’s little reason to believe the team will resume its push for a play-in spot down the stretch — and it’s possible we won’t see a whole lot more of banged-up vets like Lillard and Nurkic this season. That would be good news for playoff hopefuls like the Thunder and Pelicans, who will visit Portland on Sunday and Monday, respectively.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Given the team’s lack of impact moves on the free agent market since relocating to Oklahoma City, Isaiah Joe may be the most important free agent addition in Thunder history, declares Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link). While Joe won’t become a star and may never even be a starter in OKC, he has enjoyed a breakout season and looks like a potential rotation player for years to come, Lowe writes. Joe has knocked down 42.0% of his three-point attempts this season and the Thunder have a plus-6.6 net rating when he’s on the court, easily the best mark by any player who has spent the entire year with the club.
- Bucks forward Joe Ingles admits that he took it hard when he was traded by the Jazz at the 2022 trade deadline, but he has since comes to terms with it and now appreciates the fact that he got to spend eight years with the franchise, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. The roster overhaul that the Jazz have undergone since Ingles’ departure made it easier for him to move on. “We had a hell of a run; at some point, they always come to an end,” he said. “Ours did — not by the players’ choice, but that’s how it works.”
- In an interview with Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link), Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels says he thinks he’s the best defender in the NBA.
Northwest Notes: J. Williams, Simons, KCP, McDaniels, Jazz
The Thunder entered last year’s draft determined to come away with both Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link), who takes a look back at how the team ensured it ended up with Williams late in the lottery. According to Windhorst, the Thunder were concerned that their interest in Williams had gotten out and that a team would trade for the Knicks’ pick at No. 11 to nab the Santa Clara star before Oklahoma City could take him at No. 12.
As Windhorst explains, the Thunder ultimately agreed to acquire the No. 11 pick from New York and used it to select Ousmane Dieng, then drafted Williams with their own pick at No. 12 — that way, if the deal with the Knicks fell through before becoming official, they’d still be assured of having Williams.
Williams is enjoying a strong rookie season for the Thunder, starting 45 of 58 games and averaging 12.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 3.1 APG while shooting 51.1% from the floor.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- After being sidelined due to a right ankle sprain, Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons returned to action on Wednesday, but he aggravated the injury in his first game back and said that he doubted he’d be able to play in Atlanta on Friday, per Jason Quick of The Athletic (Twitter link). Simons has since been ruled out for tonight’s game (Twitter link).
- Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been “exactly what we needed,” according to head coach Michael Malone, who added that KCP is a “great two-way player” and said there’s “nothing not to love” about him. In a subscriber-only story for The Denver Post, Mike Singer looks at how the Nuggets have been impacted by Caldwell-Pope, whose teammates call him “First Team” (referencing his case for an All-Defensive spot).
- Speaking of All-Defensive candidates, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels is making a strong case for consideration, says Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. McDaniels has said he likes “locking someone up” on defense more than hitting a big shot. “I know I’m going to make shots throughout the game, but stopping someone else from scoring when that’s what they like to do, I like messing peoples’ night up. Just trying to do that,” he said.
- Are the Jazz in officially in tank mode? Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune explored that question following Tuesday’s loss to San Antonio, arguing that Utah’s injury report and rotation decisions certainly suggested the team wasn’t going all-out to win.
Scotto’s Latest: McDaniels, Hornets, G. Williams, Nuggets
Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels drew significant trade interest around the NBA ahead of Thursday’s deadline, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports that about half of the league’s teams reached out to express interest in the 22-year-old.
However, after keeping him out of the Rudy Gobert blockbuster last summer, the Timberwolves continued to turn away inquiries on McDaniels. The front office views the third-year forward, who becomes extension-eligible during the coming offseason, as a member of the team’s core, Scotto writes.
McDaniels’ brother Jalen McDaniels was on the move this week, as the Hornets sent him to the Sixers in a four-team deal that also involved New York and Portland. According to Scotto, Charlotte was anticipating a strong free agent market for Jalen this offseason and was concerned about being outbid for the 25-year-old, who will be an unrestricted free agent.
After trading for him at the deadline, the Sixers are hoping to use their Bird rights on the older McDaniels brother to retain him, but they’ll face competition. League sources tell HoopsHype that the Jazz, Pacers, and Spurs are among the clubs expected to show interest in McDaniels in the summer.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- With McDaniels no longer on the roster, the Hornets are prioritizing re-signing P.J. Washington this summer, as well as potentially negotiating a new deal with Miles Bridges, says Scotto.
- The Celtics turned away multiple teams who expressed interest in trading for forward Grant Williams, Scotto reports. Clubs were interested in acquiring Williams ahead of his restricted free agency to secure his Bird rights, Scotto writes, adding that some executives around the NBA believe Boston will be hesitant to match an offer sheet exceeding $15MM+ per year for the forward this summer. The C’s never offered more than $50MM in guaranteed money over four years last fall when the two sides discussed an extension, Scotto notes.
- Before sending him to the Clippers, the Nuggets discussed possible deals involving Bones Hyland with the Hornets (Jalen McDaniels), Timberwolves (Taurean Prince), and Knicks (Cam Reddish), according to Scotto.
- In case you missed it, Scotto’s latest story for HoopsHype also included an interesting item on the Grizzlies’ offer for Mikal Bridges and some info on potential suitors for veteran wing Terrence Ross.
Bamba, Rivers, Suggs Suspended For Fight
The NBA has announced suspensions (via Twitter) for three players involved in an altercation during Friday night’s game between the Magic and Timberwolves.
Orlando center Mohamed Bamba was suspended for four games and Minnesota guard Austin Rivers received three games for their roles in the fight. Magic guard Jalen Suggs received a one-game suspension for escalating the incident, and Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels was fined $20K for running into the fray and pushing Bamba in the back.
All four players were given technical fouls and were ejected from the game. Minnesota’s Taurean Prince was also ejected, but he wasn’t disciplined by the league.
Bamba appeared to start the fight with a comment to Rivers after his missed three-pointer late in the third quarter. Rivers took exception and challenged Bamba on Orlando’s bench. Both players threw punches, although it looked like none of them connected. Suggs tackled Rivers, and McDaniels and Prince also got involved.
The NBA’s press release states that Bamba tried to “continue to engage with Rivers in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms where he also aggressively shoved a security representative,” which explains why he got the longest suspension.
Five Players Ejected From Magic-Wolves Game After Scuffle
Orlando’s Mohamed Bamba and Jalen Suggs, as well as Minnesota’s Austin Rivers, Taurean Prince and Jaden McDaniels, were ejected from Friday’s Magic–Timberwolves game after a scuffle broke out, reports Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link)
It appears as though Bamba may have initiated the incident by saying something to Rivers after he missed a three-pointer, as Markelle Fultz looked absolutely shocked by whatever was said (Twitter video link via Rob Perez).
Clearly Rivers didn’t appreciate the comment, as he returned to Orlando’s bench (Bamba wasn’t in the game at the time), and then a fight broke out between Bamba and Rivers, with punches thrown, though none appeared to connect (Twitter video link via Bally Sports North).
Suggs then ran into the fray and tackled Rivers, with chaos ensuing. Prince and McDaniels were both shoving and trying to get involved, so apparently they were ejected for escalating the altercation.
According to Pierre Noujaim of Fox 9 Minneapolis (Twitter link), Bamba and Rivers tried to continue the fight in the arena hallway after being ejected, and had to be restrained, presumably by security.
All five players are likely to face suspensions and/or fines, with Bamba and Rivers almost certain to receive the most significant penalties.
Bamba is typically a backup center, but he started the game for the Magic, with Suggs a reserve guard. Losing them to suspensions would affect the team’s rotation, but not as substantially as it would the Wolves, as McDaniels is a starter and Prince and Rivers are two of Minnesota’s primary reserves.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Caruso, Timberwolves, Williams
The Nuggets might to be turning a corner on the defensive end, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Denver has won six of its past seven games to move to 20-11, and the team is 12th in defensive rating over that span, up from 23rd on the season, Singer notes.
As Singer details, the third quarter of Friday’s home win over Portland was a particularly impressive defensive stretch, with the Nuggets outscoring the Blazers 35-16. Michael Porter Jr., who made his return to the lineup after a 13-game absence with a left foot injury, played a big part in that effort, as did Jamal Murray, who sat out Tuesday’s game due to knee maintenance.
“When our defense turned up, the offense is great, but I just get so excited when I see five guys locked in, on a string,” head coach Michael Malone said, per Singer.
Porter described his injury as a form of plantar fasciitis, and he finished with 18 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes, Singer adds. Murray nearly notched a triple-double, recording 25 points, eight rebounds, 12 assists and a couple steals.
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- In a subscriber-only story for The Denver Post, Singer says league-wide parity has contributed to a lack of sellers on the trade market thus far. The Bulls haven’t shown any interest in dealing away contributing players yet, but if that changes, Alex Caruso would be a nice bench upgrade for the Nuggets, according to Singer, who also thinks an upgrade over Zeke Nnaji and DeAndre Jordan at the backup five might be needed if Denver doesn’t trust either player for a postseason run.
- Four Timberwolves role players — Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell and Nathan Knight — have a special bond, and their camaraderie has helped the team during tense moments, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I want to see the whole team succeed. But those are guys that I’m very, very close with,” Nowell said. “They’re really like blood brothers. It hits a little different when you see your family being successful.” All four are at key junctures in their careers — McDaniels is eligible for a rookie scale extension in the summer, Reid and Nowell will be unrestricted free agents, and Knight is playing on a non-guaranteed deal.
- Rookie big man Jaylin Williams, the 34th overall pick of June’s draft, sustained a concussion on Wednesday in a G League contest for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder announced. The second-rounder is now in the league’s concussion protocol. Williams has only made seven NBA appearances thus far, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 8.7 minutes per contest, but he has been a regular with the Blue, the Thunder’s affiliate, averaging 14.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.4 SPG on .626/.364/.741 shooting in 11 games (30.6 MPG).
Wolves’ Jaden McDaniels Talks Season, Goals, More
As a former first-round pick in his third year, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels is in the midst of an important season for his career — he’s eligible for a rookie scale extension in 2023. The rangy, versatile defender is averaging career highs in several categories thus far in 2022/23, including points (10.9), steals (1.1), blocks (1.2), FG% (52.7), 3PT% (36.9) and minutes (30.1) through 27 games.
McDaniels recently spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about a number of different topics, including how he improves defensively, who he compares himself to, the team’s goal for ’22/23, his long-term individual goals, and more. Here are a few highlights:
On the Wolves’ season thus far and his own development:
“For the team, it’s been a little up and down, but there have been certain times this season where we click, and we’re playing our best basketball. Then, there’s sometimes I feel like with KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns) being down, it hurts us. Defensively, sometimes we slip. I feel like it’s going to come together. It has to work for us. That’s what we’re saying. Continue to stick with it.
“For me, I’d say staying aggressive offensively and getting to my spots while continuing to shoot the three really well. I want to continue to guard the best player on the other team and make it as tough as I can.”
“Fair expectations” for the current season after the Rudy Gobert trade over the summer:
“I feel like we’ll go to the playoffs and try and get further than we did last year. Our goal is the second or third round. Our main goal is the championship, but we’ve got to start somewhere, so I’ll say do better than we did last year for right now.”
Long-term goals for his career:
“Sometime, I’d love to be an All-Star. Right now, things I feel are accomplishable are being on the All-Defensive Team. I feel like I could be one of the best two-way players in the NBA. Then, continuing to build off that to All-Star games to being a playoff MVP and all those types of things.”