Jaden McDaniels Cleared to Return as Wolves Rest Starters Wednesday

Fresh off clinching a playoff spot, the Timberwolves announced that star forward Jaden McDaniels has been cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 basketball activities.

McDaniels missed the previous six Wolves games due to left knee patellar tendinopathy. He is listed as questionable ahead of the Wednesday night game against the Orlando Magic.

The initial injury diagnosis seemingly ruled McDaniels out for the remainder of the season. While he is now eligible to return, it will be interesting to see if Minnesota risks aggravating the injury before the playoffs, or if they hold him out for the last three games to ensure that he's as close to 100% health as humanly possible before the playoffs start next week.

Before his injury, McDaniels was having the best offensive seasons of his career while maintaining his presence as a dominant defender. In 71 games, the 25-year-old is averaging career-highs in points (14.8), assists (2.7), field goal percentage (51%), and three-point shooting (42%).

With Tuesday night's win over the Pacers and the Suns losing to the Rockets, the Wolves secured at least the sixth seed in the playoffs. That means they avoid having to play in the play-in tournament. The highest the Wolves can climb is the fifth seed, but they would need to win their remaining three games and have Houston drop its last three games of the regular season.

Wolves resting starters Wednesday night

With the sixth seed seemingly all but certain, the question becomes how much the beat-up Wolves want to risk in the final games of the regular season. Wednesday's status report would appear to be an indicator that they are not going to risk anything, as the team listed nearly the entire starting lineup as either questionable or out.

Rudy Gobert is questionable with a "rest" designation. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards (right knee injury maintenance), Ayo Dosunmu (right calf injury maintenance), Julius Randle (right hand soreness), and Mike Conley (rest) have been ruled out for the game against the Magic, which is the second night of a back-to-back.

Minnesota @Timberwolves Status Report in advance of tonight’s game at Orlando Magic:

QUESTIONABLE
Gobert- Rest
McDaniels- Left Knee Patella Tendinopathy

OUT
Conley- Rest
Dosunmu- Right Calf Injury Maintenance
Edwards- Right Knee Injury Maintenance
Randle- Right Hand Soreness
— Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) April 8, 2026

Minnesota is back in action Friday in Houston before Sunday's regular-season finale at home against the Pelicans. It's unclear if the Wolves will try to get the starting five some minutes together before the playoffs, but we'll find out like everybody else ahead of the last two games.

As the likely No. 6 seed, the Timberwolves will take on the No. 3 seed in a best-of-seven first-round series. Right now, that would appear to set up another series against the Nuggets, who have won nine straight games. Denver holds a narrow one-game lead over the Lakers and Rockets for the No. 3 seed.

Los Angeles will be without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the remainder of the regular season and possibly the playoffs, while the Rockets finish the season with three straight home games against the 76ers, Timberwolves, and Grizzlies.