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After a breakout season that included Most Improved Player honors and a top-three DPOY finish, Dyson Daniels is locked in on a four-year, $100M deal — a contract that already looks like a bargain for Atlanta’s young core.
The Atlanta Hawks didn’t make headlines with a blockbuster trade or a splashy free agent signing. They made one of the smartest bets in basketball. Hours before the rookie-scale extension deadline, the Hawks secured guard Dyson Daniels on a four-year, $100 million deal, locking in another core piece alongside Jalen Johnson and Trae Young.
For a franchise known for its volatility, this move represents something new — stability with substance. Daniels’ arrival from New Orleans last season turned out to be one of Atlanta’s biggest wins in years. What began as a low-risk trade has evolved into a foundational piece of a reshaped identity.
In his first full season with Atlanta, Daniels averaged 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and an NBA-leading 3.0 steals per game, transforming into an elite two-way guard seemingly overnight. His defensive production alone redefined the Hawks’ ceiling.
A Defensive Dynamo in His Prime Window
Daniels didn’t just fill a role — he changed how the Hawks defended. Atlanta’s defensive rating improved by 10 points (118.4 to 114.8) from 2023-24 to 2024-25, a massive jump for a team long defined by offensive flash and defensive lapses.
The numbers tell the full story:
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443 total deflections — most in a single season since the NBA began tracking the stat.
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27 games with 4+ steals, the most since 1993-94.
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14 games with 5+ steals, the most since Chris Paul in 2010-11.
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Top-three finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
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Winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
At just 23 years old, Daniels is already among the league’s premier perimeter stoppers — and the first since Rajon Rondo (2010-11) to post a steal-to-foul ratio above 1.2 with at least 150 steals.
“I really believe I could win this award again,” Daniels said about winning MIP. “Next year, it’s all about taking that next step — I want to be an All-Star and a championship player.”
That kind of hunger is what makes the Hawks’ investment look like a steal.
The Financial Fit: Smart Money, Smarter Timing
Locking Daniels up before restricted free agency was both strategic and forward-thinking. His deal will never exceed $30 million per year and will stay under 15% of the cap through its lifespan — a rarity in an era where role players routinely eclipse that threshold.
The contract also aligns perfectly with Jalen Johnson’s five-year, $150 million deal, forming one of the youngest, most cost-efficient cores in the league. By avoiding bloated veteran contracts, general manager Onsi Saleh has quietly built one of the cleanest cap sheets in basketball.
For comparison: Philadelphia has two supermax deals and one max contract without a clear championship path. Atlanta, meanwhile, has spread its money across multiple players still entering their prime years — and each one fits the team’s timeline.
Even if Daniels’ trajectory stalls, the contract remains highly tradeable due to its manageable annual value. But the Hawks aren’t thinking about moving him. They’re thinking about what’s next.
A Franchise Finally Building the Right Way
In a league dominated by star movement, Atlanta’s approach stands out. They’re betting on internal growth — and on a 23-year-old who’s already proven he can anchor a defense, energize a locker room, and elevate his teammates.
The Hawks may not have a superstar headline right now with the Trae Young extension still looming, but they’ve done something smarter: locked up a future All-Star before he costs like one.
Jalon Dixon Jalon Dixon is a multi-platform sports journalist and content creator specializing in NBA and WNBA coverage. He blends writing, podcasting, and video analysis to deliver accessible, in-depth perspectives on basketball and beyond. More about Jalon Dixon
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