11:36 am: McDaniels’ 10-day contract is official, according to a release from the Wizards. As expected, the team terminated Stevenson’s 10-day deal early in order to open up a roster spot.
8:20 am: The Wizards are signing Jalen McDaniels to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
In order to make room for McDaniels on the 15-man roster, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets Washington will release Erik Stevenson from his own 10-day deal.
McDaniels, the older brother of the Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels, is a five-year NBA veteran. He hasn’t played in the league yet this season, having last suited up for Toronto in 2023/24. He has been playing for Washington’s G League affiliate, averaging 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in 29 outings (26 starts) for the Capital City Go-Go.
The elder McDaniels was the 52nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, spending the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the Hornets. He was then moved to the Sixers at the 2023 deadline in the multi-team trade that saw Josh Hart land with the Knicks and Matisse Thybulle go to Portland.
After that season, McDaniels signed with the Raptors. He played in 50 games for Toronto last year before being traded twice this offseason. In June, the Raptors sent him to Sacramento in a move that netted them Jamal Shead and Davion Mitchell, and the Kings flipped him in October to the Spurs, who waived him.
In 248 NBA appearances (45 starts), McDaniels holds averages of 6.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 1.2 APG while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.2% from three.
The Wizards have been cycling through 10-day contracts since the deadline. They signed Jaylen Nowell on Feb. 8 before ending his 10-day deal early to sign Stevenson on Feb. 17. Now, five days later, they’re set to make another change. Neither Nowell nor Stevenson made an appearance for Washington. Stevenson is averaging 17.1 PPG with a .388 3PT% in the G League this season.
After the moves are official, the Wizards will remain at a full roster, with 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way pacts.