A top-10 prospect coming into the season, Jaden McDaniels disappointed many at Washington. For all his talent as a silky 6-foot-10 scorer, a lack of effort and consistency have dragged McDaniels down. Similar issues plagued him back in high school too.
There are concerns over McDaniels’ so-called “love for the game.” That’s normally a pretty lame insult to lob at a future NBA player, but it’s a question NBA teams have or will have when McDaniels hops on a Zoom call in July. He will need to prove his desire to improve, and eventually, to win.
The Raptors are a perfect destination. He’s still a top-end talent, and Toronto has both the resources and the time to bring McDaniels along slowly. He would have the benefit of veteran leadership, as well as a world-class organizational structure behind him. He has a good chance to outperform his placement here.