Dyson Daniels earned All-Defensive First Team honors and was voted Most Improved Player in his first year with the Atlanta Hawks. However, there remains plenty of uncertainty around his future with one more season left on his rookie contract.
Daniels also led the league in steals with 3.0 per game, among other career highs.
His receiving an extension has long been expected. However, questions remain about where the deal will come in monetarily.
“Daniels Dyson Daniels is going to get a lot of money this summer. It’s going to be a lot of money. It’s going to be a crazy deal,” Vecenie told Motor City Hoops’ Bryce Simon on the “Game Theory” podcast on June 11. “I think this deal is starting at the Jalen Suggs number.
“I think it’s going to end up being a little bit more.”
Suggs was the No. 5 pick of the 2021 draft, one year and three slots before Daniels was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans.
Suggs inked a five-year, $150.5 million contract with the Orlando Magic that begins in this coming season. He logged more starts through his first three seasons in the league than Daniels did, but the Hawks guard had more total appearances.
The Magic guard has the scoring and a slight three-point efficiency edge in that span.
Daniels came out ahead in assists, rebounds, steals, and value over replacement player (VORP), per Basketball Reference.
“I think this is probably a $32, $33 million a year deal,” Vecenie said. “It’s what this is at this point it’s $30 to $34 [million] is the number. There’s no way he’s getting less than Suggs I think. It’s five [years], $150-plus [million. It might be five, $180 [million], honestly. That wouldn’t blow my mind. But I think it’s probably more like five, $170 [million], $165 [million]. May, five, $165 [million] is probably the number to me.”
Vecenie noted the reality of Daniels’ defense and his superior stats to Suggs.
However, Vecenie also pointed to an aspect of Daniels’ game that could take his game to another level entirely. That is at the free throw line, where Daniels shot 59.3% in 2024-25 and is a 61.4% shooter for his career.
That tweak, which is significant, could see Daniels’ value skyrocket next season, providing all the more reason for the Hawks to act sooner rather than later.
History is on Daniels’ side.
Hawks track record works in Dyson Daniels favor
The Hawks have long been proactive with reaching agreements on extensions with their players, including two players whose deals provide further context for why Daniels could receive the hefty payday Vecenie expects.
Jalen Johnson, arguably the Hawks’ best all-around player, received a five-year, $150 million pact ahead of last season, and his impact has been greatly hindered by injuries.
Starting center Onyeka Okongwu received a four-year, $62 million extension in 2023.
That is notable with the Hawks linked to other starting-caliber pivots like Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner in trade speculation. Daniels’ greatest hurdle is his short track record of such high-level production.
Again, though, waiting for him to prove that last season was no fluke would only cost the Hawks in the end.