The Atlanta Hawks love Dyson Daniels, and according to an anonymous executive who spoke with Spotrac’s Keith Smith at Summer League in Las Vegas, they view him as the perfect Trae Young running mate, something they have been searching for for years. Atlanta has finally (seemingly) figured out how to effectively build a team around Young, and Daniels is a big part of it.
“I think we can get a deal done with Dyson,” a Hawks front office executive told Smith of a potential Daniels extension. “Both sides want to. He’s been a perfect fit next to Trae (Young) because they complement each other well.”
Now, the Hawks have a clear direction.
Hawks finally know how to build around Trae Young, and Dyson Daniels is a key part of the puzzle
Obviously, before anything in Atlanta can be considered a true success, the Hawks have to win. Maybe not a championship, but they should at least match the success they had during their 2021 playoff run.
That team featured John Collins, Clint Capela, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, among others. But since then, the Hawks have significantly altered their approach to building around Young.
For a fleeting moment in time, they added Dejounte Murray, who was supposed to be the defensive Robin to Young’s Batman. That didn’t pan out so well, but they made the most of the move, flipping Murray for Daniels.
Daniels finalized the vision they had for Murray in regard to being a Young running mate.
While Murray is a solid defender in his own right, Daniels is at another level. He’s quick enough to keep up with guards, making up for Young’s defensive deficiencies, but also big enough to guard some of the best wings and forwards in the NBA (like Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, and others of that variety).
Behind Daniels and Young, the Hawks have a core of Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, and Onyeka Okongwu, and this summer, they added Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
The success that Daniels had next to Young confirmed that they had finally found the perfect way to maximize Young’s talents: Put elite defenders around him.
Now, they just have to get a Daniels extension done. And based on how well he played last season, the Hawks shouldn’t be afraid to give Daniels the bag.
After years of mediocrity, particularly following their run in 2021, the Hawks finally have a clear pathway forward with Young leading the way. And it’s never been more obvious that they see Daniels as a huge part of it.