On Oct. 20, with less than three hours to spare, the Atlanta Hawks and Dyson Daniels agreed to a four-year, $100 million rookie contract extension. The Hawks secured their young, lockdown defender after he took home Most Improved Player and an All-Defensive First Team selection last season.
Howard Never Signed a Triple-Digit Contract
When ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the deal, many fans reacted on “X” with phrases such as “what a steal” or “underpay.” Former Los Angeles Lakers star, Dwight Howard, responded differently, letting fans know the massive amount of money Daniels just guaranteed.
😮💨😮💨 yall saying underpaid man these boys getting paid I ain’t never even sign a $100 mill contract https://t.co/jFOp5F2y2T
— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) October 21, 2025
Howard earned over $245 million during the course of his Hall of Fame career, but never signed a contract exceeding $100 million. The eight-time All-Star’s highest contract was a four-year, $87.6 million maximum veteran extension with the Houston Rockets.
Howard brings up an important point. Fans often overlook what this life-changing money means for a 22-year-old. It provides stability and eliminates any risk of a long-term injury derailing Daniels’ plans. If the eighth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft suffered a serious injury during the upcoming campaign, his next contract would look a lot different.
NBA Money has risen significantly since Howard’s star days. In fact, superstars keep one-upping each other with extensions. Could Daniels have made more money if he chose restricted free agency next summer? Possibly. In fact, just mere hours before Charania announced the deal, reports surfaced that Atlanta and Daniels were “apart in extension talks.”
Reports are that Dyson Daniels and the Hawks are apart in extension talks. Daniels wants 5/$150 and Hawks are offering 5/$115.
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>Meet in the middle(ish) at 5/$125 and get it done. Daniels is too important to not finish this one off. I wouldn’t want to play the RFA game next July.— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 20, 2025
Ultimately, both sides reached an agreement. Daniels is now set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2030 at the age of 27. If his development stays on this path, he puts himself in a position for a massive payday right when he enters his prime.
Contract Extension Proves Hawks Have Faith in Daniels’ Offensive Development
Daniels entered the league with a great defensive reputation. His height, wingspan, and defensive instincts enable him to turn over opponents at a high rate. Last season, he led the league in steals at a historic 3.0 swipes per game and 229 in total. In contrast, many questions surrounded his offensive game.
The Hawks gave him the starting shooting guard spot last season, and he posted career-high numbers across the board. His biggest questions come from his struggles beyond the arc and at the free-throw line. Daniels shot 34% on 3.1 3-pointers attempted per game and 59.3% from the charity stripe last campaign. The Hawks are counting on those numbers to improve over the course of his contract extension.