The deadline for Dyson Daniels and the Atlanta Hawks to agree to an extension is at 6:00 Eastern today, yet Michael Scotto reports that the two sides could be at an impasse.
Daniels reportedly wants a 5-year, $150 million extension, what Jalen Johnson received last year. The Hawks, however, are holding strong for a deal in the range of 5-years, $115 million. This $35 million gap is the difference between Daniels earning $30 million and $23 million annually, a significant gap that appears to indicate an extension will not be reached.
Daniels is in a unique situation that makes his negotiations particularly challenging. After a pair of solid seasons off the bench in New Orleans, he was traded to Atlanta as part of the Dejounte Murray trade. Upon his arrival, Daniels took the league by storm with his incredible disruption as a defender.
Daniels will have to prove himself again this season
Daniels would win Most Improved Player and second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting for his efforts, which ostensibly justifies his $150 million price tag. The Hawks are hesitant to match this number, likely due to the small sample size Daniels has produced. How certain can the team be that last season wasn’t a fluke and Daniels truly is this caliber of player.
There are valid areas of concern regarding the long-term sustainability of Daniels’ performance. He tallied the highest steals per game total in over 30 years and finished first in deflections, with over 60% more deflections than second place. Given the outlier status of these two statistics, the Hawks are justifiably skeptical about how replicable this performance is.
While some regression is inevitable after such a strong statistical performance, it seems unlikely that Daniels’ defensive season was a total fluke. In New Orleans he was a strong defender, and he immediately thrived when given a chance on a somewhat competitive team last season. However, the Hawks are not willing to bet this extra $35 million while the question of Daniels’ legitimacy remains unanswered.
Daniels is a truly elite perimeter defender and the perfect fit alongside Trae Young. His skillset is truly irreplaceable, which makes it difficult to believe the Hawks would let him walk in restricted free agency.
Instead, he and the team will gamble on their price tag over this season. If Daniels can prove he is worth his high requested salary, he will receive a lucrative contract next offseason. If he regresses, the deal will likely be closer to Atlanta’s current offer, if not lower.