Dyson Daniels Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Scottie Barnes, Cason Wallace Named Defensive Players Of The Month

December 2nd, 2025 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for October/November, while Thunder guard Cason Wallace won the award for the Western Conference, according to an announcement from the NBA (Twitter link).

Barnes led the surprising Raptors to a 14-7 record through the end of November, and the team posted the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating (111.5) during that time. According to the league, the versatile 6’8″ forward ranked fourth in the East in deflections in October/November (4.0 per game) and was the only player in the NBA to rack up at least 30 steals and 30 blocks.

Wallace, meanwhile, is one of many standout defenders on a dominant Thunder team that went 20-1 with a remarkable 103.6 defensive rating in October/November. Oklahoma City was three-and-a-half games better than any other NBA club during that time, and its defensive rating was nearly seven points per 100 possessions better than that of the second-place Rockets (110.3).

While the Thunder’s defensive performance is a team effort, Wallace led the NBA in steals per game (2.2) to open the season and also had more deflections per game (5.0) than any other player in the West, despite playing a relatively modest 28.6 minutes per contest.

It’s the first time that either Barnes or Wallace has won the Defensive Player of the Month award, which was introduced at the start of last season. According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other players nominated in the East were Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart — Mobley and Daniels each earned Defensive Player of the Month recognition twice last season.

In the West, Wallace’s Thunder teammates Luguentz Dort and Chet Holmgren were also nominated. Rockets guard Amen Thompson was the only non-OKC nominee in the conference.

Trae Young Out At Least Two More Weeks With MCL Sprain

November 29th, 2025 at 1:08pm CST by Rory Maher

While Hawks star Trae Young is making “good progress” in his recovery from a sprained MCL in his right knee, he will miss at least two more weeks, which is the next time he’ll be reevaluated, the team announced in a press release.

Young injured his knee in a collision with teammate Mouhamed Gueye in the first quarter of an October 29 game at Brooklyn. He was ruled out for the rest of that game and was diagnosed with the MCL sprain a few days later after undergoing an MRI, which revealed no additional damage.

The 27-year-old point guard was scheduled to be checked out on Saturday. This is the first update on his status since November 1.

Atlanta has played well without the four-time All-Star, compiling an 11-5 record (including the victory over the Nets) in Young’s absence. He’s expected to be sidelined for six more games, with his earliest possible return date likely being Dec. 14 vs. Philadelphia.

Fifth-year forward Jalen Johnson has thrived with Young sidelined, emerging as the face of the franchise and complicating his teammate’s future with the organization, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Although the Hawks value Young’s contributions and are eager to have him back in the near future, they may not be willing to give him the type of contract he could be seeking next offseason if he declines his $49MM player option for 2026/27 to become an unrestricted free agent.

Johnson had another huge game on Friday against Cleveland, compiling 29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists for his second triple-double of the season, writes Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). Johnson, who turns 24 years old next month, was plus-20 in 39 minutes during the seven-point victory over the Cavaliers.

Reigning Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels has also taken on expanded play-making duties with Young out, and will continue to do so until his fellow starter in the backcourt is ready to return.

It will be interesting to see what head coach Quin Snyder decides to do with Nickeil Alexander-Walker when Young is back. The Canadian guard, who was acquired in a sign-and-trade with Minnesota over the summer, has more than doubled his scoring average (19.3 points per game) compared to last season (9.4). He has been starting alongside Daniels for the past 13 games.

Contract Details: Rookie Extensions, Wallace, Cooke, Nesmith

October 21st, 2025 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

There are no surprises in the official terms of the last few rookie scale extensions signed ahead of Monday’s deadline, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. The salary figures reported for Nuggets guard Christian Braun (five years, $125MM), Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (four years, $100MM), and Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (four years, $90MM) were all accurate down to the dollar, with no player or team options, trade kickers, or partial/non-guarantees.

While the extensions for Braun and Sharpe are structured with 8% annual raises and increase from year to year, Daniels’ deal with Atlanta is worth a flat $25MM per season. It’s the same structure the team used a year ago when it signed Jalen Johnson to a five-year, $150MM rookie scale extension that has annual cap hits of $30MM. In each case, the Hawks appear happy to sacrifice a little short-term cap flexibility for greater maneuverability down the road.

Here are more details of some of the contracts recently signed around the NBA:

Keaton Wallace‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Hawks is partially guaranteed for $318,217, Hoops Rumors has learned. Wallace would be assured of earning his full $2,296,274 salary if he remains under contract through January 7.
Javonte Cooke‘s new two-way contract with the Trail Blazers covers two years, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Portland had Cooke in camp on an Exhibit 10 contract and could’ve converted him directly to a one-year, two-way deal, but chose to waive him and re-sign him in order to tack on that extra year.
Aaron Nesmith‘s two-year, $40.4MM extension with the Pacers includes a 7.5% trade kicker, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Hawks Sign Dyson Daniels To Four-Year, $100MM Extension

October 20th, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

4:04 pm: Daniels’ extension is now official, the Hawks announced in a press release.

“We are beyond thrilled to reach a long-term deal with Dyson, and we are excited to watch him continue to grow with our group,” said general manager Onsi Saleh. “This extension reflects our belief in him today and into the future.”

2:16 pm: The Hawks and guard Dyson Daniels have agreed to a four-year, $100MM rookie scale extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). There are no team or player options on the contract, The Athletic’s Fred Katz tweets.

Daniels spent his first two seasons with New Orleans after being selected with the eighth pick in the 2022 draft. His career blossomed after he was traded to Atlanta in the Dejounte Murray blockbuster prior to last season. Daniels became a fixture in the Hawks’ lineup and established himself as one of the premier perimeter defenders in the league.

Daniels captured the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award and was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. He also made first team All-Defense and racked up 229 steals, the most in a single season by any player since Gary Payton in 1995/96.

Daniels posted averages of 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.0 steals in 33.8 minutes per game while making 76 starts. He also shot a career-best 49.3% overall and 34.1% on three-point attempts.

Daniels is the ninth player in his draft class to sign or agree to a rookie scale extension that will begin in 2026/27, joining Christian Braun, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., Keegan Murray, Nikola Jovic and Shaedon Sharpe.

Like Braun, Daniels will get an average annual value of $25MM on his new deal, though Braun’s new contract with Denver includes a fifth year.

Daniels and Trae Young meshed well in Atlanta’s backcourt but it’s uncertain how long that pairing will last. Young holds a $48.97MM player option on his contract for 2026/27 and could become a free agent next summer. He and the Hawks aren’t expected to reach an extension at this time.

Scotto’s Latest: Braun, Daniels, Coffey, T. Smith, Napier

October 20th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

There’s “cautious optimism” that the Nuggets will work out a rookie scale extension with Christian Braun before today’s deadline at 5:00 pm Central time, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Scotto hears that negotiations between the team and Braun’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Sports, are focusing on a five-year agreement in the range of $115MM to $125MM.

After being an important member of the team’s bench unit during his first two years in Denver, Braun moved into the starting lineup last season following the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. Braun posted career-high numbers across the board, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 79 games with .580/.397/.827 shooting splits.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported over the weekend that Braun and the Nuggets seemed unlikely to work out a deal before the deadline, but it appears progress may have been made over the past two days.

Scotto shares more information from around the league:

League sources tell Scotto that the Hawks and Dyson Daniels remain far apart in negotiation talks as the deadline nears. Daniels and his agent, Daniel Moldovan, are asking for an extension valued at $150MM over five years, while the team’s offer is in the neighborhood of five years at $115MM. Daniels was a valuable addition in his first season in Atlanta, earning First Team All-Defensive honors while leading the league in steals and being named Most Improved Player. However, Scotto points out that the Hawks made two significant free agent additions over the summer in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard who could cut into Daniels’ playing time. Both players are better shooters, and Scotto suggests they could be on the court late in games instead of Daniels if Atlanta needs more offense.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was a strong proponent for Amir Coffey to earn a roster spot, league sources tell Scotto. Rivers coached Coffey during his rookie season with the Clippers and believes he’ll be a valuable addition in Milwaukee. The 6’7″ swingman, who was in camp on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, connected at 40.9% from three-point range last season. Milwaukee still has a roster move to make with Tyler Smith and Andre Jackson Jr. in contention for the final spot. Scotto hears that the Bucks spent the weekend exploring the trade market for Smith, a second-round pick in 2024 who appeared in 33 games last season. He’ll likely be waived if the Bucks can’t find a taker before this afternoon’s deadline, Scotto confirms.
Former NBA player Shabazz Napier has joined the Wizards as a coaching apprentice, sources tell Scotto. Napier, 34, played for Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague last season.

Extension Rumors: Daniels, Ivey, Duren, Eason, Braun, Sharpe

October 18th, 2025 at 7:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

After talking to agents and executives around the league, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required) that there will likely be few, if any, rookie scale extensions reached before Monday’s deadline that carry an average annual value larger than $25MM. Fischer adds that teams have become more cautious about handing out large deals because of the restrictions that accompany the first and second aprons.

He points to Hawks guard Dyson Daniels as someone who should be in good position to match the five-year, $150MM extensions that teammate Jalen Johnson and Orlando guard Jalen Suggs both received last offseason. However, sources tell Fischer that Atlanta’s front office is willing to let Daniels test restricted free agency next year if he won’t sign on the team’s terms.

Fischer notes that Daniels’ agent, Daniel Moldovan, also represents Josh Giddey, who just went through a months-long standoff with the Bulls in restricted free agency. Fischer adds that Daniels would likely be entering a more robust market for restricted free agents than the one that Giddey faced.

Fischer offers more information on players eligible for rookie scale extensions:

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren haven’t made much progress in their extension talks with the Pistons, sources tell Fischer. He suggests that management might be extra cautious with Ivey following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week. Ivey’s camp expects an active market if he does hit free agency, even though he’s also coming off a fractured left tibia that cost him most of last season. Sources describe negotiations with Duren as “tepid” so far, per Fischer, who adds that his representatives are asking for a new deal worth much more than $30MM in AAV and are also optimistic about his prospects on the open market.
The Rockets are hoping to sign Tari Eason to an extension that’s “significantly lower” than the five-year, $122MM deal that Jabari Smith Jr. accepted this summer, according to Fischer. The outcome of the Eason negotiations will affect what Houston is willing to give Kevin Durant in his extension talks, Fischer adds. With Amen Thompson expected to receive a max extension next offseason, Houston is being careful about not overloading its salary commitments. Fischer talked to capologists who said they would recommend limiting any Durant offers to $80MM over two years. As Fischer notes, it’s not certain that Durant would remain with the Rockets at that number.
It seems unlikely that Christian Braun will reach an extension agreement with the Nuggets, Fischer states. Sources tell him that Denver is already sending signals that it doesn’t want to become a taxpaying team next season, while Braun and his camp are hoping for a deal at $25MM in average annual value. The Nuggets are also holding extension talks with Peyton Watson, but Fischer suggests a new deal with him may not happen unless they can’t agree to terms with Braun.
Fischer views Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe as the most likely remaining candidate to hammer out an extension before the deadline. Rival teams that Fischer contacted expect Portland to give Sharpe something in the neighborhood of $100MM over four years.
Suns center Mark Williams, Jazz center Walker Kessler and Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin all appear headed for restricted free agency, Fischer states. Of the three, Fischer points to Mathurin as the most likely to change teams because of Indiana’s reluctance to add more long-term salary.

Extension Rumors: Herro, Heat, Porzingis, Daniels, M. Robinson

October 17th, 2025 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

Although All-Star guard Tyler Herro has expressed interest in signing a contract extension with the Heat before the regular season begins, there haven’t been substantive discussions to this point, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who hears from sources that a preseason deal is doubtful.

Because Herro has two guaranteed seasons left on his current contract, he wouldn’t be eligible to sign an extension during the season. If he and Heat don’t work out an agreement on or before Monday, his next window to sign a new deal would be during the 2026 offseason.

Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins are also extension-eligible, but a long-term deal for either player appears unlikely in the short term, Windhorst writes.

As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps observes within the same story, the Heat are one of a handful of teams looking to maximize their cap flexibility for the summer of 2027, which is when several stars – including Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Donovan Mitchell – are currently projected to reach free agency. That doesn’t necessarily mean a player like Herro or Powell won’t sign an extension sooner or later, but Miami may be reluctant to sacrifice 2027 cap room until they have “good reason” to, Bontemps explains.

Here are a few more notes and rumors on potential extension candidates:

There’s mutual interest between the Hawks and Kristaps Porzingis in a new contract, but the two sides are comfortable waiting to see how the season plays out, says Windhorst. That lines up with recent public comments from Porzingis on the subject. Both Porzingis and Trae Young are expected to have to wait on potential extensions, though Young would ideally like to replace his $49MM player option for 2026/27 with a lucrative new deal sooner or later, per Windhorst.
The Hawks are negotiating with rookie scale extension candidate Dyson Daniels ahead of Monday’s deadline, Bontemps confirms. ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggested earlier this week that Daniels’ agent, Daniel Moldovan, is using Jalen Suggs‘ five-year, $150MM as the key point of comparison for his client. Daniels’ teammate Jalen Johnson signed an identical extension last fall.
The Knicks and Mitchell Robinson have spoken about a possible extension, but haven’t gained any real traction, sources tell Windhorst. According to Windhorst, there’s also no urgency for the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns to work out a new contract — he’s extension-eligible, but has two guaranteed years and a player option left on his current deal.
Marks and Bontemps took a closer look at several of the remaining rookie scale extension candidates, speculating about what fair contracts might look like and predicting which ones will get done.

Extensions Not Expected For Hawks’ Young, Suns’ Williams

October 16th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hawks will not sign star point guard Trae Young to an extension before the season begins, league sources tell Fred Katz and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

The news doesn’t come as a surprise — Jake Fischer reported a couple months ago that the two sides weren’t expected to discuss an extension during the offseason. Katz and Vardon say the Hawks want to see how the new-look roster meshes before making a potential long-term commitment to the four-time All-Star.

Young admitted late last month that he was a little disappointed about entering training camp without an extension in place, but also said he was focused on the present and wouldn’t let the lack of a new deal be a distraction.

Young is coming off a 2024/25 season in which he played 76 games (36.0 minutes per contest) while averaging 24.2 points, a league-high 11.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals, with a shooting line of .411/.340/.875.

There’s no real urgency to extend Young from Atlanta’s perspective. While he could become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he declines his player option (worth about $49MM) for 2026/27, he will remain extension-eligible throughout the ’25/26 league year. Signing an in-season extension would also require Young to decline that option.

Whether they sign him to a rookie scale extension before Monday’s deadline or re-sign him as a restricted free agent in 2026, the Hawks feel good about their chances of retaining Most Improved Player winner Dyson Daniels, according to Katz and Vardon.

In other extension news, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 cautions (via Twitter) not to expect a rookie scale deal for Suns center Mark Williams. The former Duke big man has frequently been injured over his first three seasons, appearing in a total of just 106 games, and Phoenix appears likely to use ’25/26 to evaluate his fit after acquiring him in a summer trade with Charlotte.

Fischer reported last week that the Suns were considered unlikely to sign Williams to an extension. If no deal is reached, the 23-year-old would be a restricted free agent next summer, assuming he’s given a qualifying offer.

Fischer’s Latest: Sharpe, Daniels, Eason, Dadiet, Knicks

October 5th, 2025 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest subscriber-only article for The Stein Line, Jake Fischer expresses some doubt that there will be much more action on the rookie scale extension front before the regular season begins. As Fischer writes, just five players – Paolo Banchero, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., and Nikola Jovic – have signed rookie scale extensions thus far, with 16 players still eligible.

Of course, it’s worth pointing out that at this time last year, only four rookie scale extensions had been signed — seven more were completed on deadline day, October 21, and I’d be surprised if we don’t get at least a little flurry of action at this year’s deadline, which will land on Oct. 20.

Still, as Fischer observes, teams who took their fourth-year players to restricted free agency this past summer instead of getting extensions done early had significant leverage in those negotiations. And while more teams are projected to have cap room next summer, which could offer RFAs more pathways to getting paid, some of that projected cap room figures to dry up over the course of the season due to extensions and trades.

One prime candidate for a rookie scale extension this month is Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe. Fischer says he has heard the Blazers have discussed a potential four-year, $90MM deal for the 22-year-old, while team strategists he has spoken to around the league believe that Sharpe could ultimately match or exceed the four-year, $100MM contract Josh Giddey recently signed with Chicago.

Sharpe played well during the second half last season, averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in his final 29 outings. According to Fischer, the Blazers believe they’ll be well positioned to compete for a postseason spot in 2025/26 if Sharpe carries over and builds on that momentum.

Here’s more from Fischer:

There’s “some distance” between Dyson Daniels and the Hawks in the early stages of their rookie scale extension negotiations, Fischer writes. Daniels is the NBA’s reigning Most Improved Player and placed second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, so it’s safe to assume he’ll be seeking a significant payday on his second NBA contract.
While it’s not a necessity, the Rockets would prefer to get an extension done with Tari Eason before finalizing a new deal with Kevin Durant, since that would allow them to know exactly what their cap situation will look like before they make a substantial commitment to the 15-time All-Star, according to Fischer. If Houston works out an extension with Eason, it would likely be for four years, says Fischer, adding that cap strategists think the annual salary will come in lower than the $24.4MM Smith got from the Rockets earlier this year.
Confirming that the Knicks have contacted multiple teams to gauge Pacome Dadiet‘s trade value, Fischer reports that multiple sources think New York started Dadiet in its preseason opener on Thursday in order to showcase him for a potential deal. Trading Dadiet would allow the Knicks to keep two veteran camp invitees instead of just one. While Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet are widely viewed as the favorites to make the team in that scenario, Fischer has repeatedly heard that Garrison Mathews will get legitimate consideration for a regular season roster spot. Given their respective skill sets, Mathews would be more likely to supplant Shamet than Brogdon.

Southeast Notes: J. Johnson, Daniels, T. Jones, Mann

October 4th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks forward Jalen Johnson may have been headed for his first All-Star appearance before a torn labrum in his left shoulder ended his season in January. Now that he’s fully recovered, he’s eager to start competing again after nine months away from the game, writes Bill Trocchi of The Associated Press.

“I’m just excited for a basketball game,” Johnson said. “It’s been a long time since January, so I’m excited to get out on the court, preseason, training camp. I’m excited to be full go and fully healthy going into the season.”

The Hawks made several important additions during Johnson’s absence, bringing in Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard, and Johnson said he’s been spending training camp learning how to play alongside them. Coach Quin Snyder told Trocchi that Johnson will handle the ball more often this season and will create easier opportunities for his teammates.

“Other guys on the team benefit from Jalen because of his play-making ability,” Snyder said. “Jalen is such a good passer and willing passer that he’s ready to play-make even more. … (With the new lineup), he will be in spacing situations where he can just catch and shoot. We want him to do that, just to let it fly. We trust him in that regard.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

After capturing Most Improved Player honors last season, Dyson Daniels spent the summer trying to raise his game even further, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). The Hawks guard is making an effort to become a more versatile offensive player. “I was able to go and make improvements in a lot of ways,” Daniels said. “I worked a lot on my midrange game, being able to get to spots, different pickups, different footwork, getting good shots, trying to develop that offensive bag. And I think that’s been the main focus for me this summer.”
Point guard Tyus Jones seems like an ideal addition for a Magic team that has experienced difficulty with holding onto the ball in recent years, observes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Jones, who led the NBA in assists-to-turnover ratio for six straight seasons, said he considered joining Orlando for a while before signing as a free agent this summer. “This has been a place where I’ve kind of had my eye on and thought the fit was there the last few years,” he said. “It eventually played itself out and the time is right now. I’m excited to be here. I plan on making those fans happy and look forward to playing in front of them.”
Hornets guard Tre Mann is happy to be able to play again after a back injury derailed last season after 13 games, relays Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Mann admitted going through a “dark time” during the long recovery process, but now says he’s grateful for “just being in the NBA, being healthy and putting on the NBA jersey.”