Atlanta Hawks have ‘some distance’ in contract talks with star player, he could demand $30 million in free agency

Atlanta Hawks want to re-sign Dyson Daniels, distance in early talks

Jake Fischer put out a report about the upcoming extension landscape in the NBA. With the October 20th extension deadline for players in the fourth year of their rookie contracts, there is a lot of chatter.

When it comes to Dyson Daniels and the Atlanta Hawks, the two are far apart. The reigning Most Improved Player could follow Jonathan Kuminga’s playbook and enter restricted free agency.

What makes this dangerous is that there are going to be more teams with cap space next season, and he could leave the Hawks if he gets a good offer.

” I think both Daniels and Duren, as restricted free agents, could quite easily command offer sheets at that $30 million-per-season level if we see at least three teams with the cap space to make such offers in the 2026 offseason.

“I’m hearing there’s indeed some distance between Daniels and the Hawks in the early stages of these negotiations.

“The Hawks, on one hand, could certainly take the stance that they have yet to see how effective Daniels can be in a playoff environment, given his past shooting inconsistencies.

“Yet it’s likewise true that Daniels is the NBA’s reigning Most Improved Player, who also made a run at Defensive Player of the Year last season.

“He would thus figure to be a restricted free agent in demand next summer — if it got that far — even if RFAs in 2026 are confronted by another suffocating marketplace.”

Atlanta Hawks can’t let their stars slip away after starting new project

This iteration of the Atlanta Hawks roster can only be described as a new beginning. With their new-look roster, the Hawks can be competitive in the Eastern Conference.

With that being said, it would be foolish of the Hawks to let Daniels or Trae Young leave in free agency after just Year 1 of this new side.

Young’s Hawks future depends on his play with Jalen Johnson, as the franchise wants to ensure their chemistry is present before offering an extension.

The Hawks’ front office has to make some big decisions over the next few days. For their sake, they must make the right ones.