Australian NBA star Dyson Daniels has been given a monster contract extension on the eve of the new season.
On Tuesday (AEDT), ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Daniels had agreed to a four-year rookie contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks worth USD $100 million (A$153.5 million).
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It’s a massive and well deserved payday for Daniels, 22, who enjoyed a breakout 2024-25 season with the Hawks after joining from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Daniels was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player, was named to the All-Defence first team and was runner-up in the Defensive Player of the Year award.
In a dominant defensive display, he finished with 229 steals, the most in a season by any player since Gary ‘The Glove’ Payton in 1995-96.
Daniels’ defensive exploits earned him his own nickname, ‘The Great Barrier Thief’.
Daniels, the eighth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, averaged 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.0 steals a season ago, becoming the first player to average three steals since Alvin Robertson in 1990-91.
Daniels’ new four-year $100 million contract is the exact same extension Josh Giddey agreed to with the Chicago Bulls after prolonged negotiations this off-season.
The bumper contracts mean Daniels and Giddey, aged 22 and 23 respectively, are now two of Australia’s highest paid athletes behind only NFL star Jordan Mailata, McLaren F1 driver Oscar Piastri and LIV golfers Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman.
Daniels’ younger brother Dash has made his NBL debut for Melbourne United and is expected to be a top prospect when he declares for the NBA Draft in the coming years.
Daniels has emerged as a key a piece for the Atlanta Hawks alongside Trae Young as the Hawks aim to rise up the Eastern Conference standings and make the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
The Hawks will be hoping to be Eastern Conference contenders after recruiting Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard, with Jalen Johnson returning from injury.
