Hawks extend 4-year, $100 million contract with “Most Improved” Dyson Daniels – Basketball Insiders
The Atlanta Hawks have signed defensive star Dyson Daniels to a four-year, $100 million contract extension. ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported.
Daniels had a breakout year, winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, finishing as runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year and being named to the All-Defensive First Team.
He averaged 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and a league-leading 3.0 steals per game. His 229 steals last season were the most by a player since Gary Payton in 1995-96.
Daniels was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft before the Hawks acquired him via trade in July 2024. The Eagles have until Monday at 5 p.m. to reach an agreement.
This further solidifies the core of the Eagles, who signed Jalen Johnson to a long-term contract earlier this summer. Zaccharie Risacher is the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Daniels is also an excellent complement to Trae Young in the backcourt. He helped mitigate most of Young’s defensive weaknesses, and Young did the same for him offensively.
Atlanta ends its season Wednesday at home against the Toronto Raptors.
Is Daniels’ extension a good deal for both parties?
At first glance, that seems like a lot of value for a 22-year-old rising player. Daniels is one of the top defenders in the league, more than doubling his scoring output from last season and providing decent ball-handling and playmaking ability. His two-point shooting percentage is also as high as 54.5%.
What’s holding Daniels back from earning more is his three-point shooting and free throw shooting. Daniels averaged 3.1 three-point attempts last season, shooting 34% from the field and only 59.3% from the free throw line. In an era where shooting is so important, he needs to show improvement in that area to maximize his next contract.
Looking around the league, Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million contract extension with the Nuggets shows that’s the market price for a player of this caliber.
If the Eagles can get more jumpers out of Daniels, they’ll hit a home run.
