When he left the the University of Washington basketball team after a solitary season, one had to wonder if Jaden McDaniels would ever amount to much as an NBA player.

He seemed overly immature.

He drew five technical fouls with the Huskies while trying to show up the officials.

He played himself out of the starting lineup.

He was part of a UW team that collapsed from 11-4 to finish 15-17.

He had this faraway stare.

Yet McDaniels is Exhibit A for why you never automatically give up on a kid, rather you allow him plenty of leg room to figure things out if he can.

In the case of the 6-foot-9 forward from Federal Way, Washington, he grew up overnight with the Minnesota Timberwolves and there's been no looking back.

Now entering his seventh NBA season, he initially paid close attention to how the older players in his locker room and across the league conducted themselves as professionals and acted accordingly. For that reason, he's living a pro basketball life that maybe he never quite imagined.

This week, McDaniels agreed to a one-year, $40 million extension that will keep him under contract with the Timberwolves through the 2029-30 season when he becomes a 10-year veteran and an unrestricted free agent, this after signing a five-year, $136 million deal in 2023.

Through six seasons, he's banked $57,501,225 so far and stands to earn $26,200,001 this coming campaign.

On Wednesday night, McDaniels makes his season debut when the Timberwolves play at Miami in a game that will be televised by ESPN and tips off at 4:30 PT.

He's one of just five former UW players currently on NBA rosters with guard Dejounte Murray of the New Orleans Pelicans, forward Isaiah Stewart of the Memphis Grizzlies, guard Matisse Thybulle of the Los Angeles Lakers and rookie forward Hannes Steinbach with the Charlotte Hornets.

As the 28th pick of the 2020 draft, McDaniels has become a core member of the Minnesota franchise, along with Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and LaMelo Ball, and someone to keep in the fold and continue to build around.

He comes off a career year in which he averaged a career-best 14.8 points, plus 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1 block per game, while shooting 51.5 percent, 41 from 3-point range.

Just as important, McDaniels has turned himself into one of the NBA's better perimeter defenders, winning conference honors for this particular skill set. His next move is to make himself an All-Star caliber player real soon.