The Atlanta Hawks have some exciting young talent on the team that they're hoping can take more leaps this season. One of those players is Dyson Daniels, who won the Most Improved Player award last season after showing a jump on both sides of the ball. That was probably good news for Daniels, as he is now eligible for a rookie extension worth $30 million.
With the deadline coming on Oct. 20 for extensions to get done, it doesn't seem like Daniels and the Hawks are close on a deal, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“I'm hearing there's indeed some distance between Daniels and the Hawks in the early stages of these negotiations,” Stein wrote. “The Hawks, on one hand, could certainly take the stance that they have yet to see how effective Daniels can be in a playoff environment given his past shooting inconsistencies.
“Yet it's likewise true that Daniels is the NBA's reigning Most Improved Player, who also made a run at Defensive Player of the Year last season. He would thus figure to be a restricted free agent in demand next summer — if it got that far — even if RFAs in 2026 are confronted by another suffocating marketplace.”
Last season, the Hawks went down to the wire with signing Jalen Johnson to his rookie extension, as he signed a five-year, $150 million deal the day of the deadline. That may be the case again, but this time with Daniels, especially if they don't want this to linger into next offseason.
Hawks have decision to make with Dyson Daniels
Daniels had a big season last year, as he was one of the league's best perimeter defenders. Though he was mostly known for his defense, he also showed some growth on the offensive side, which is probably the main reason for him winning Most Improved. There are still some areas where he can improve on that side of the ball, mostly his perimeter shooting, and the hope is that he can increase his percentages.
The Hawks have shown a willingness to wait to give big contracts this offseason, with the main example being Trae Young, who was eligible for an extension this summer.
Extending Young and Daniels would be good for the Hawks' future, and the team has high expectations coming into this season with the new additions from the offseason that included Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard.
