The Atlanta Hawks will need to decide to extend their NBA Award winner’s contract in the coming weeks.
The Atlanta Hawks have done an incredible job improving their roster this offseason. After years of failing to build a candidate around Trae Young, the Hawks front office got to work.
First, the Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis and landed a major upgrade in centre position after Clint Capella left for free agency.
The Hawks also brought in Nichl Alexander Walker via Sign and Trade while signing Luke Kennard and drafting Asa Newell.
However, the Hawks will not re-sign Trey’s youngerness to the extension. In fact, they may even choose to prioritize another star’s future first.
Jake Fisher has released a report on the NBA’s upcoming expansion landscape. There’s a lot of chatter with the October 20 extension deadline for the fourth-year player on the rookie contract.
When it comes to Dyson Daniels and the Atlanta Hawks, the two are far apart. The most improved players will track Jonathan Kuminga’s playbook and may enter restricted free agency.
What puts this at stake is that more teams have cap space next season and if he gets a good offer he can leave the Hawks.
“I think both Daniels and Duren can command the seats very easily at the $30 million level per season if they see at least three teams with cap space to make such offers in the 2026 offseason, as restricted free agents.
“I have heard that in the early stages of these negotiations there is certainly some distance between Daniels and the Hawks.
“The Hawks, on the other hand, were able to take the stance that, given the contradictions of his past shooting, they haven’t seen how effective Daniels is in the playoff environment yet.
“But Daniels is the NBA’s most improved player and ran in defensive Player of the Year last season.
“He thought that, even if the 2026 RFA was facing another choking market, he would be a free agent with demand restricted next summer.”
This iteration of the Atlanta Hawks roster can only be described as a new beginning. The new look roster makes the Hawks competitive in the Eastern Conference.
That being said, it would be stupid for the Hawks to let Daniels and Trae and Younger leave after this new side’s first year.
Young’s Hawks’ future relies on his play with Jalen Johnson, as he wants to ensure that chemistry exists before the franchise offers expansion.
The Hawks front office will have to make some major decisions over the next few days. For them, they have to make the right thing.