The Hawks are gearing up for a highly anticipated season following the pick of Zaccharie Risacher, who is shining in Summer League, and the trade of Dejounte Murray, a deal that net a potentially pivotal piece around Trae Young in Dyson Daniels.
The Australian native’s calling card is his defense. Daniels has two years left on a rookie deal that will pay him $6.1 million this year and $7.7 million next year while perfectly complementing Young in the backcourt.
Atlanta’s point-of-attack defense dramatically improved with this acquisition. Even though Daniels has limited shooting and scoring ability, fit sometimes matters more, but there’s no reason to write off such a young player improving offensively.
Daniels showed flashes for Team Australia against Team USA, knocking down 50% of his three-pointers and converting 75% of his field goals for 14 points to go along with three steals in only 20 minutes of work. Of course, there were defensive highlights.
The Hawks are hopeful that the Lakers’ first-round pick in 2025 is that of a lottery selection. That could be the most valuable asset that Atlanta received from New Orleans, but if Dyson Daniels proves to be a capable backcourt partner with Trae Young, the Hawks will come out of this Dejounte Murray trade better than any fan could’ve hoped for.
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