Daniel Gafford vs. Jaden McDaniels Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jaden McDaniels and Daniel Gafford, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Stats Rankings / Games against each other

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Daniel Gafford played 7 years in the NBA, 1 more than Jaden McDaniels, who played 6. Daniel Gafford had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, while Jaden McDaniels had his rookie season in 2020-21. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player
Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Daniel Gafford 7 2 2019-20 to 2025-26
Jaden McDaniels 6 3 2020-21 to 2025-26

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season

Daniel Gafford Jaden McDaniels
Season 2019-202020-21
Team Chicago BullsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Daniel Gafford 43 14.2 5.1 1.2 1.3 2.5 0.5 0.3 1.3 0.7 2.3 2.2 3.1 .701 0.0 0.0 - 0.7 1.4 .533
difference:+20+9.8+1.7+0.4+1.6+1.2+0.6+0.3+0.3-0.4+0.4+2.7+.254+1.1+3.1+0.3+0.7+.067
Jaden McDaniels 63 24.0 6.8 0.8 2.9 3.7 1.1 0.6 1.0 0.7 2.7 2.6 5.8 .447 1.1 3.1 .364 0.4 0.7 .600
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Daniel Gafford nor Jaden McDaniels played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

Daniel Gafford Jaden McDaniels
Season 2020-212021-22
Team Chicago Bulls, Washington WizardsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Wizards Lost East Conf 1st RdTimberwolves Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Daniel Gafford 54 14.6 7.0 1.7 2.5 4.3 0.5 0.5 1.4 0.8 1.8 2.9 4.2 .684 0.0 0.0 - 1.3 2.0 .667
difference:+16+11.2+2.2+0.6+0.6+0.1+0.6+0.2+0.6-0.3-1.4+0.7+3.7+.224+1.1+3.6+0.5+1.0+.136
Jaden McDaniels 70 25.8 9.2 1.1 3.1 4.2 1.1 0.7 0.8 1.1 3.2 3.6 7.9 .460 1.1 3.6 .317 0.8 1.0 .803
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Daniel Gafford 5 23.4 11.8 2.8 3.0 5.8 0.6 1.0 2.0 0.6 3.4 4.4 5.2 .846 0.0 0.0 - 3.0 4.8 .625
difference:+1+1.7+2.5+2.0+1.0+3.0+0.1+0.7+0.2-0.4-0.4+1.4+0.5+.317+1.7+3.3+1.3+2.8+.208
Jaden McDaniels 6 21.7 9.3 0.8 2.0 2.8 0.7 0.3 1.8 1.0 3.0 3.0 5.7 .529 1.7 3.3 .500 1.7 2.0 .833

Season 3

Daniel Gafford Jaden McDaniels
Season 2021-222022-23
Team Washington WizardsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Daniel Gafford 72 20.1 9.4 2.2 3.5 5.7 0.9 0.4 1.4 0.9 2.4 4.0 5.7 .693 0.0 0.0 - 1.5 2.1 .699
difference:+7+10.5+2.7+1.0+0.8+1.8+1.0+0.5+0.4-0.5-1.0+0.7+3.4+.176+1.4+3.4+0.2+0.3+.037
Jaden McDaniels 79 30.6 12.1 1.2 2.7 3.9 1.9 0.9 1.0 1.4 3.4 4.7 9.1 .517 1.4 3.4 .398 1.3 1.8 .736
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Daniel Gafford nor Jaden McDaniels played in the postseason in their season 3

Season 4

Daniel Gafford Jaden McDaniels
Season 2022-232023-24
Team Washington WizardsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayTimberwolves Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Daniel Gafford 78 20.6 9.0 2.1 3.5 5.6 1.1 0.4 1.3 1.1 2.4 3.7 5.1 .732 0.0 0.0 - 1.6 2.4 .679
difference:+6+8.6+1.5+1.3+1.2+2.5+0.3+0.5+0.7-0.1-0.6+0.6+3.6+.243+1.2+3.5+0.8+1.3+.043
Jaden McDaniels 72 29.2 10.5 0.8 2.3 3.1 1.4 0.9 0.6 1.2 3.0 4.3 8.7 .489 1.2 3.5 .337 0.8 1.1 .722
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Daniel Gafford DNP------ --- ----------
Jaden McDaniels 16 33.6 12.2 1.8 2.1 3.8 1.1 0.9 1.1 1.1 3.4 4.5 8.8 .514 1.5 3.5 .429 1.7 2.2 .771

Season 5

Daniel Gafford Jaden McDaniels
Season 2023-242024-25
Team Washington Wizards, Dallas MavericksMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Mavericks Lost NBA FinalsTimberwolves Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Daniel Gafford 74 24.5 11.0 2.6 5.0 7.6 1.6 0.9 2.1 1.0 3.1 4.7 6.5 .725 0.0 0.0 - 1.6 2.4 .674
difference:+8+7.4+1.2+1.0+0.8+1.9+0.4+0.4+1.2-0.2-0.4+0.2+3.7+.248+1.2+3.7+0.3+0.8+.139
Jaden McDaniels 82 31.9 12.2 1.6 4.2 5.7 2.0 1.3 0.9 1.2 2.7 4.9 10.2 .477 1.2 3.7 .330 1.3 1.6 .813
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Daniel Gafford 22 20.2 9.0 1.9 3.6 5.5 0.7 0.3 1.5 0.9 1.7 3.5 5.6 .634 0.0 0.0 - 1.9 3.0 .631
difference:+7+12.9+5.7+0.1+0.2+0.1+0.8+1.0+0.6-0.3-1.6+2.3+5.7+.119+1.4+3.7+0.2+1.1+.262
Jaden McDaniels 15 33.1 14.7 1.8 3.8 5.6 1.5 1.3 0.9 1.2 3.3 5.8 11.3 .515 1.4 3.7 .382 1.7 1.9 .893

Season 6

Daniel Gafford Jaden McDaniels
Season 2024-252025-26
Team Dallas MavericksMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Daniel Gafford 57 21.5 12.3 2.7 4.1 6.8 1.4 0.4 1.8 1.2 2.7 5.0 7.1 .702 0.0 0.0 - 2.4 3.4 .689
difference:+30+11.6+3.3+1.4+0.6+2.0+1.3+0.7+0.9-0.7-0.9+1.0+4.8+.200+1.5+3.7+0.2+0.9+.179
Jaden McDaniels 27 33.1 15.6 1.3 3.5 4.8 2.7 1.1 0.9 1.9 3.6 6.0 11.9 .502 1.5 3.7 .404 2.2 2.5 .868
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Daniel Gafford nor Jaden McDaniels played in the postseason in their season 6

Additional Years

* Daniel Gafford played 1 season more than Jaden McDaniels in the NBA.

In that period—his season 7 in 2026—Daniel Gafford didn't play in the postseason.