The 2020 NBA Draft has had several freshmen declare and now Washington forward Jaden McDaniels will join that growing list. He is expected to stay in the draft and forgo his final three years of college eligibility. His brother Jalen McDaniels was a late second-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and now plays with the Charlotte Hornets. Jaden is projected to be a post-lottery first-round selection in this year’s draft. There are several teams that could use the forward for depth on their roster.
Washington freshman Jaden McDaniels is leaving the Huskies and entering the NBA draft. https://t.co/3nczFp0A6z
— Percy Allen (@percyallen) April 15, 2020
McDaniels is listed at 6’9″ and 200 pounds which means he is well suited to play forward in the NBA. His freshman year had him average 13 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game for the Huskies. He joins his fellow freshman teammate Isaiah Stewart as a Washington Huskies “one and done” player. Washington has become a fairly consistent gateway to the NBA. Stewart and McDaniels didn’t have the team success they were expecting, but they could both still be first-round picks.
Washington freshman Jaden McDaniels has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft.
McDaniels was a five-star prospect and a top-10 recruit in the class of 2019 @Jmcdaniels7 pic.twitter.com/UGUr7fmkm2
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) April 15, 2020
McDaniels can carve out a solid NBA role and it may largely depend on which team drafts him. His stock did fall after his one year of college and his teammate Stewart also saw a fairly significant slip as well. The five-star status coming out of high school typically gets you more looks and some benefit of the doubt in the NBA Draft. The way you play in the NBA matters far more to NBA teams. so McDaniels will have a chance to prove himself at that level.
