Dyson Daniels is a shooting guard who rarely shoots. He's a wing deployed more for defensive pressure than offensive firepower. At 23, he has become one of the NBA's most valuable players not because he launches threes, but because he stops them.
The Australian guard's unconventional skill set helped the Atlanta Hawks reach the first round of the playoffs this season, their best campaign in years. They pushed the New York Knicks to six games before falling short, a feat made more impressive by the midseason departure of their franchise point guard.
Daniels acknowledges the gaps in his game with blunt self-assessment. His three-point shooting this season hit just 19 percent, among the league's worst marks. Yet rather than viewing this as a fatal flaw, he leaned into alternative roles: cutting to the rim, directing teammates into scoring opportunities, and providing the elite perimeter defense that has become his calling card.
"I'm pretty disappointed with how the season went to be honest, from an individual standpoint," Daniels said during a recent visit home to Australia. "I didn't shoot the ball how I wanted to this year." Still, he found pathways to impact. When opposing defenses backed off him, expecting a three-point launch, he saw the floor open up. "Sometimes when I'm the playmaker, the defense is so far off I can just see everything and play free," he explained.
The NBA's shooting revolution, built on the three-point logic of Golden State's dynasty, has begun to reverse course. Physicality and suffocating defense have returned to favor in Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Detroit. For Daniels, that shift plays to his strengths. He made the All-Defensive Team last season and won Most Improved Player in the same year, recognition that translated directly to his wallet.
In July, Daniels signed a contract extension that will increase his annual salary from $7.7 million to $25 million. That income bracket includes only the elite of Australian sport: Oscar Piastri in Formula One, Cameron Smith in golf, and Daniels' Boomers teammate Josh Giddey.
"It's good to have that guaranteed money and security, but it comes with a lot of other things too, a lot of responsibility and decision making," Daniels said. Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, in Australia this week for NBA House events, offered a concise take on the guard's value: "What he does on the defensive side of the ball, he's already carved out his niche in his league, so everything else is just a plus."
With his first major paycheck arriving in two months, Daniels is plotting his financial future. He plans to help his parents secure a home and expand his property holdings. Florida has been the focus of his real estate strategy so far, though he's monitoring Australia's revised negative gearing rules after this week's budget announcement.
Teammate Matthew Dellavedova, a known tech investor, attempted to convince Daniels to explore alternative assets. The pitch fell flat. "I'm bit iffy on Bitcoin," Daniels said. "He sat me down for a good hour and gave me the presentation, so I'm a bit iffy on that."
His playmaking improved markedly this season and he sees shooting development as his next frontier. If he can fix his three-point accuracy, Daniels could join basketball's elite tier of two-way players. For now, he's proof that the NBA's future elite don't all need to rain threes.
Author James Rodriguez: "Daniels represents the NBA's corrective course: a player whose value lies not in chasing the three-point line but in defense, floor vision, and winning basketball, and that's exactly why he's about to become very rich."
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