TITLE: Hawks Sign Dyson Daniels to Four-Year, $100 Million Extension; Mavericks Pick Up Dereck Lively II Option; Nets Navigate Five-Rookie Camp
SLUG: hawks-dyson-daniels-extension-mavericks-lively-option-nets-rookies
CONTENT:
Atlanta, Dallas and Brooklyn each made notable roster moves and evaluations as training camps wind down.
Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have reached a four-year, $100 million rookie-scale extension with guard Dyson Daniels, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Athletics Fred Katz reported that the contract contains no player or team options.
Daniels, 22, emerged as a defensive centerpiece after arriving from New Orleans in last summer’s Dejounte Murray trade. He captured the 2023-24 Most Improved Player award, landed on the All-Defensive First Team and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting while collecting 229 steals—the highest single-season total since Gary Payton in 1995-96.
Last season he averaged 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.0 steals on 49.3 percent shooting. The new deal keeps him under contract in Atlanta through 2029-30. Trae Young’s long-term status remains unsettled; the guard holds a $48 million player option for 2026-27.
Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have exercised center Dereck Lively II’s fourth-year option, guaranteeing the 21-year-old $7.24 million for the 2026-27 season. Lively has averaged 8.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 72.9 percent over his first two NBA campaigns.
Foot injuries limited him to 36 games last year, but he returned for preseason action and is expected to start Wednesday’s opener against San Antonio.
Nets
Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernandez is overseeing the development of five rookies, including first-round picks Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf and transfer-turned-draftee Danny Wolf, writes the New York Daily News. Fernandez told reporters the point-guard competition among Demin, Traore and Saraf is ongoing.
“All three have done good things,” he said, per the New York Post. “If somebody can’t sustain what we’re asking, then that creates an opportunity for another.” Wolf’s basketball IQ will also be closely monitored as the team balances growth with competitiveness.
Source: Hoops Wire
