Apr 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) warms up on the court prior to the game against the Orlando Magic at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

NBA Legend Comments on 'Underpaid' Hawks Star Dyson Daniels

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 2:41 PM ET

Many NBA fans are applauding the Atlanta Hawks for the new deal they struck with the veteran standout, Dyson Daniels. The NBA legend Dwight Howard had a different reaction.

“Yall saying underpaid man these boys getting paid I ain’t never even sign a $100 mill contract,” Howard wrote on the social media platform X.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Daniels inked a $100 million extension with the Hawks ahead of Monday’s rookie-scale extension deadline. He will be attached to Atlanta for four more seasons.

‍‍ 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 isn’t exactly knocking Daniels, who joined a group of members from his draft class in landing $100 million extensions. The former superstar center is just putting the state of today’s NBA contracts in perspective.

Daniels earned some notable accolades last year, being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and winning the Most Improved Player of the Year award. He averaged 14.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.0 steals per game, while shooting 49 percent from the field and 34 percent from three.

Howard, a former first-overall pick, was an eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA member, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a five-time All-Defensive member. Howard was one of the top players of his generation of hoops, hence his draft position in 2004 and his trip to the Hall of Fame last month.

Unfortunately, max contracts weren’t exceeding $100 million when Howard was earning them.

Howard’s rookie-scale deal was just under $20 million. His first max extension was around $83 million with the Orlando Magic. When he signed a massive extension with the Houston Rockets, Howard signed for $87 million over four years.

Once that contract was completed, Howard inked a $70 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks. He was waived after the second season, earning $23.5 million for that second year.

From that point on, Howard was taking on short-term contracts. While the state of today’s NBA contracts might shock Howard, that doesn’t take away from the fact that he still made a lot of money in the NBA.

Being in the league since 2004, the veteran center earned $245,142,483. He is ranked 40th overall in total career earnings, according to Spotrac.

As for Daniels, he should have $125 million secured by the end of the 2029-2030 season if he plays out his current set of deals. Barring any changes along the way, Daniels will become a free agent in 2030.