McDaniels Makes NBA Debut at Staples Center Against Lakers

While his team got blown out, the rookie from the University of Washington hit a few shots and got into the boxscore.

Dan Raley | Dec 28, 2020

On Sunday, Jaden McDaniels officially became an NBA player.

In a boxscore, that is.

The former University of Washington forward made his pro basketball debut for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 127-91 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James at the Staples Center.

The 6-foot-10 McDaniels, a first-round draft pick and the 28th player selected in the NBA draft, beat former Husky teammate Isaiah Stewart onto the floor as a pro basketball rookie.

Stewart, the 16th player chosen overall by the Detroit Pistons, didn't play in his team's first two games, both losses. He'll get another chance to stir from the bench on Monday when the Pistons visit Atlanta.

After sitting out Minnesota's first two games, McDaniels came off the bench late in the game in Los Angeles to play eight minutes and launch three 3-point shots and hit two of them for 6 points.

He also stole the ball twice, grabbed a rebound, blocked a shot and committed a pair of personal fouls.

McDaniels and Stewart were one-and-done players as freshmen big men for the Huskies last season, playing together for a 15-17 team that finished in last place in the Pac-12.

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Published Dec 28, 2020

DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.