Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by Pedro Salcas
Jaden McDaniels comes from a basketball family that played a major role in his journey from Federal Way, Washington, to the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves forward is the son of Will McDaniels and Angela Jackson and grew up competing with his older brother, Jalen McDaniels, who also reached the NBA.
McDaniels has since started a family of his own with longtime partner Allison Audrey. The couple welcomed their first son, Mekhi, in 2024 and later expanded their family with a second son. Away from basketball, Jaden remains notably private, but he has spoken openly about the sacrifices his parents made for him and the importance of family in his life.
Who Is Jaden McDaniels’ Girlfriend?
Jaden McDaniels’ girlfriend and longtime partner is Allison Audrey, a former college basketball player who has since built a public presence around fitness, lifestyle and motherhood content.
McDaniels and Audrey have generally kept the beginning of their relationship private. Neither has publicly provided a detailed account of exactly when or how they met.
Their relationship became much more visible in 2024 when Audrey documented her pregnancy and the couple prepared to welcome their first child together.
Audrey has since regularly supported McDaniels during his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and has appeared with him and their children in family photographs shared publicly.
As of now, there is no reliable public announcement confirming that Jaden McDaniels and Allison Audrey are married. She continues to be publicly described as his girlfriend or partner.
Who Is Allison Audrey?
Allison Audrey has her own basketball background. She was born in Gijón, Spain, into a family closely connected to professional basketball.
Her father was the late Ed Johnson, an American basketball player who competed professionally in the United States and Europe and later coached in Spain.
Audrey eventually moved to the United States and played college basketball at Georgia State University.
During the 2018-19 season, she averaged 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and was named the Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year as well as earning third-team All-Sun Belt honors.
Her basketball career was later affected by injuries, and she moved into fitness and digital content creation after college.
Her own experience as a high-level basketball player gives Audrey an understanding of the demands surrounding McDaniels’ NBA career.
Does Jaden McDaniels Have Children?
Yes. Jaden McDaniels has two publicly documented children with Allison Audrey, both sons.
The couple welcomed their first son, Mekhi, in 2024. Audrey later announced in July 2025 that they were expecting another baby, and subsequent public family posts confirmed the arrival of their second son.
Mekhi Lee McDaniels
Mekhi Lee is Jaden McDaniels and Allison Audrey’s first child. He was born in June 2024.
McDaniels spoke publicly about becoming a father later that year while discussing his family with Andscape.
During Thanksgiving 2024, he described Mekhi as the newest member of the McDaniels family and joked that his infant son was missing out on all the Thanksgiving food because he was still too young to eat it.
The arrival of Mekhi represented an important change in McDaniels’ life away from basketball. Audrey has shared selected moments from their son’s childhood while still keeping much of his life private.
When Mekhi celebrated his first birthday in 2025, Audrey shared an affectionate message from both parents emphasizing how much their son had changed their lives.
Jaden McDaniels’ Second Son
Jaden McDaniels and Allison Audrey also have a second son.
Audrey announced her second pregnancy in July 2025 with family photographs featuring Jaden and Mekhi. She revealed that their first son was being promoted to big brother and indicated that the new baby was expected in October 2025.
Subsequent public posts showed the couple with two children and confirmed that the new baby was another boy.
Unlike Mekhi, the younger child’s name has not been consistently reported by reliable public sources. For that reason, it is better not to assign him a name without direct confirmation from the family.
How Many Children Does Jaden McDaniels Have?
Jaden McDaniels has two sons with Allison Audrey.
Their eldest, Mekhi Lee, was born in June 2024. Their second son arrived after Audrey announced a pregnancy with an October 2025 due date.
As of now, the couple have not made extensive personal information about their younger child publicly available.
Who Are Jaden McDaniels’ Parents?
Jaden McDaniels was born to Will McDaniels and Angela Jackson on September 29, 2000, in Federal Way, Washington.
Both parents have Chicago roots but raised their sons in Washington state. They played a particularly important role in guiding Jaden and his older brother Jalen through elite youth basketball and eventually into professional careers.
Jaden has directly credited both parents with making sacrifices that allowed him to travel around the country for basketball and receive the opportunities necessary to develop into an NBA player.
Will McDaniels – Jaden McDaniels’ Father
Will McDaniels is Jaden’s father and played a major role in both his basketball development and his college recruiting process.
Will worked as an aircraft mechanic for Boeing while his sons were developing into elite basketball prospects.
When Jaden became one of the highest-ranked high school players in the United States, recruiting attention from major college programs intensified dramatically.
Will became the primary point of contact between his teenage son and college coaches.
He explained that his goal was to protect Jaden from unrealistic promises and pressure during the recruiting process. Will had already experienced college recruiting with his older son Jalen, giving him a better understanding of how coaches attempted to attract elite prospects.
Jaden was instructed to direct most serious recruiting conversations to his father rather than handling everything himself.
Will described himself as both Jaden’s father and his “bodyguard” during the process, making clear that protecting his son’s interests mattered more than attention from famous basketball programs.
His approach also reflected a desire to allow Jaden to remain a teenager rather than become consumed by the business surrounding elite basketball prospects.
Angela Jackson – Jaden McDaniels’ Mother
Angela Jackson is Jaden McDaniels’ mother and another major influence in his life.
Angela and Will raised Jaden and Jalen in Federal Way, Washington, and both remained actively involved in their sons’ development even after their own relationship ended.
The parents maintained an amicable arrangement and lived close enough that their sons could comfortably spend time with both of them.
Angela was known for providing structure and discipline at home while supporting the boys’ athletic ambitions.
Jaden has repeatedly grouped his mother and father together when discussing the people who influenced him most.
In an interview during his high school years, McDaniels said his parents made numerous sacrifices so he could travel and play basketball around the country. He also credited them with teaching him from childhood that he needed to continue working regardless of his talent.
That emphasis on work ethic followed him from youth basketball through Federal Way High School, the University of Washington and eventually the NBA.
Are Jaden McDaniels’ Parents Still Together?
Will McDaniels and Angela Jackson were no longer together by the time Jaden became a nationally recruited high school prospect.
However, reporting on the family described them as maintaining a positive relationship while raising their sons.
They lived within walking distance of each other, allowing Jaden and Jalen to remain closely connected to both parents.
The arrangement also allowed Will and Angela to remain united in important decisions involving their children’s education and basketball careers.
Who Are Jaden McDaniels’ Siblings?
Jaden McDaniels has one publicly documented sibling, his older brother Jalen McDaniels.
Basketball has been central to the brothers’ relationship since childhood. Jalen was already developing into a highly regarded player when Jaden was younger, giving the future Timberwolves star someone close to home to compete against and learn from.
Jalen McDaniels – Jaden McDaniels’ Older Brother
Jalen McDaniels was born on January 31, 1998, making him approximately two and a half years older than Jaden.
The brothers attended Federal Way High School and briefly played together on its basketball team.
When Jaden was a freshman, he shared the court with Jalen as Federal Way continued one of the most successful periods in the school’s basketball history.
The brothers regularly competed against one another outside organized games as well. Jaden grew up playing basketball against Jalen and other relatives, experiences their father believes helped create Jaden’s competitive personality.
Losing to his older brother often motivated the younger McDaniels to improve physically and technically.
Jalen McDaniels’ Basketball Career
Jalen became a four-star high school prospect before playing college basketball at San Diego State University.
He spent two seasons with the Aztecs and developed into an All-Mountain West player.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Jalen with the 52nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
He went on to play professionally for several organizations, including Charlotte, Philadelphia and Toronto, before continuing his career through other NBA and G League opportunities.
Jaden followed his brother into the NBA one year later, making the McDaniels family one of the relatively small number of families to produce multiple NBA players from the same generation.
How Did Jalen McDaniels Influence Jaden?
Jalen gave Jaden an example of what a basketball career could look like before the younger brother became an elite prospect himself.
Because Jalen went through college recruiting first, the entire McDaniels family learned lessons from his experience.
Will McDaniels later applied those lessons when major programs began recruiting Jaden, becoming considerably more protective about what coaches promised his younger son.
Jalen also influenced Jaden directly on the court.
The brothers played competitive games against each other growing up, and their father’s recollections suggest Jaden hated losing even as a child.
Those family games helped build the mentality that later became one of the defining features of his NBA defense.
Is Juwan Howard Related to Jaden McDaniels?
Yes. Former NBA player and coach Juwan Howard is related to the McDaniels family.
Jaden’s official NBA biography identifies Howard as his cousin. More detailed family reporting explains that Jaden’s mother, Angela Jackson, is Howard’s cousin.
That makes Howard part of the same extended family as both Jaden and Jalen McDaniels.
Howard enjoyed a lengthy NBA career after starring as a member of Michigan’s famous “Fab Five.” He played for nearly two decades in the NBA and won championships with the Miami Heat.
His presence adds another significant basketball connection to an already athletic McDaniels family.
Jaden and Jalen McDaniels’ Basketball Family
Few families have produced two NBA players in consecutive drafts.
Jalen was selected in 2019, and Jaden followed in 2020.
The Los Angeles Lakers initially selected Jaden with the 28th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. His draft rights eventually moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves through a series of draft-night transactions.
While Jalen had been selected in the second round, Jaden entered the NBA as a first-round prospect after one season at the University of Washington.
The brothers followed different basketball paths, but both relied heavily on the same family foundation created by Will and Angela.
How Did Jaden McDaniels’ Parents Influence His Career?
Jaden has been particularly clear about the influence his parents had on his success.
During his high school career, he identified Will and Angela as the two people who had influenced his life most.
He explained that they sacrificed significant amounts of time and resources to allow him to travel for basketball tournaments across the United States.
Their guidance extended beyond simply paying for basketball.
They taught him work ethic, protected him during recruiting and encouraged him to make his own decisions about which sport he ultimately wanted to pursue.
Jaden actually enjoyed football as a child and played quarterback and wide receiver before choosing basketball around eighth grade.
His parents allowed him to make that choice rather than forcing him toward basketball because his older brother was already successful in the sport.
Once Jaden committed himself to basketball, his combination of height, versatility and competitiveness quickly turned him into one of Washington state’s best young players.
Jaden McDaniels’ Childhood in Federal Way
McDaniels grew up in Federal Way, Washington, between Seattle and Tacoma.
He spent considerable time playing basketball on outdoor courts, at the Boys & Girls Club and against family members.
Competition with Jalen and cousin Mandrell Worthy became an important part of his childhood.
The players frequently competed in games of “21,” and Jaden’s older relatives did not take it easy on him because of his age.
His father has said those games helped develop the fearless competitive streak that later became visible when Jaden defended some of the NBA’s biggest stars.
By the time he reached the later stages of high school, McDaniels had developed into a five-star prospect, McDonald’s All-American and one of the highest-ranked players in the 2019 recruiting class.
Jaden McDaniels’ Family and His Life in Minnesota
Family continues to be important to McDaniels even after years in professional basketball.
In November 2024, he told Andscape that approximately 10 family members were expected to join him in Minneapolis for Thanksgiving, including his parents.
He was also hoping that Jalen would be able to attend.
McDaniels described large family gatherings as normal in his household, with cousins and other relatives spending hours together eating and relaxing.
The celebration was particularly meaningful because it was the first Thanksgiving after the birth of his son Mekhi.
His own family has since expanded further with the arrival of his second son.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jaden McDaniels’ Family
Who is Jaden McDaniels’ girlfriend?
Jaden McDaniels’ longtime girlfriend and partner is Allison Audrey, a former Georgia State basketball player who now works in fitness and digital content creation.
Is Jaden McDaniels married?
No marriage has been publicly confirmed. As of now, Allison Audrey continues to be described publicly as McDaniels’ girlfriend or partner.
Does Jaden McDaniels have children?
Yes. Jaden McDaniels and Allison Audrey have two sons.
Who is Jaden McDaniels’ son Mekhi?
Mekhi Lee is Jaden McDaniels and Allison Audrey’s first son. He was born in June 2024.
Does Jaden McDaniels have a second child?
Yes. McDaniels and Audrey welcomed a second son after announcing in 2025 that they were expecting another baby. His name has not been consistently confirmed by reliable public sources.
Who is Jaden McDaniels’ father?
Jaden McDaniels’ father is Will McDaniels. Will played an important role in managing his son’s college recruitment and protecting him from the pressure surrounding his status as an elite high school prospect.
Who is Jaden McDaniels’ mother?
Jaden McDaniels’ mother is Angela Jackson. Jaden has credited her and Will with making major sacrifices for his basketball career and teaching him a strong work ethic.
How many siblings does Jaden McDaniels have?
Jaden has one publicly documented sibling, his older brother Jalen McDaniels.
Is Jalen McDaniels Jaden McDaniels’ brother?
Yes. Jalen is Jaden’s older brother. Both played professional basketball after starring at Federal Way High School in Washington.
Did Jaden and Jalen McDaniels play together?
Yes. The brothers were briefly teammates at Federal Way High School when Jaden was a freshman and Jalen was an older player.
Who is older, Jalen or Jaden McDaniels?
Jalen McDaniels is older. Jalen was born in January 1998, while Jaden was born in September 2000.
Is Juwan Howard related to Jaden McDaniels?
Yes. Juwan Howard is part of Jaden’s extended family. Jaden’s mother, Angela Jackson, is Howard’s cousin.
Pedro Salcas is a dedicated sports journalist and NBA specialist focused on team strategy, player performance, and league news. Tracking action across the Eastern and Western Conferences, he breaks down complex game tape, roster moves, and statistics into clear, engaging analysis. From preseason storylines to deep playoff runs, Pedro brings a sharp analytical perspective and passion for basketball to keep readers informed on everything happening in the NBA.
