10
May
Aussies in the NBA
Aussies in the NBA: Dyson Daniels
Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks poses for portraits during media day at PC&E Atlanta on September 30, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Australian Boomers star Dyson Daniels plays for the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA
- Dyson Daniels NBA Profile and Performance Tracker
- Dyson Daniels' point guard evolution lost in shooting woes
- Dyson Daniels reveals what really broke his three-point shot
Australian guard Dyson Daniels has rapidly emerged as one of the NBA’s premier perimeter defenders and one of the most impactful young Australian players in the league. Known for his elite defensive instincts, positional versatility and advanced playmaking feel, Daniels evolved from a defensive specialist into an All-Star calibre impact player during the 2025–26 NBA season with the Atlanta Hawks.
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Position: Guard
Height: 2.01m
Weight: 90kg
Born: March 17, 2003 – Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
NBA Draft: No. 8 overall, 2022 NBA Draft – New Orleans Pelicans
Nationality: Australian
Playing Style
Daniels is a modern two-way guard whose size, anticipation and basketball IQ allow him to impact games without dominating the ball. At 2.01m, he can defend multiple positions and is regarded as one of the NBA’s best point-of-attack defenders.
His defensive profile is built on:
- Elite lateral movement
- Exceptional anticipation in passing lanes
- Strong screen navigation
- Ability to guard primary ball handlers
- High-level defensive versatility
Daniels finished second in the NBA in steals during the 2025–26 season with 149 after recording a league-leading 229 steals in 2024–25.
Advanced analytics from BBall-Index ranked Daniels among the NBA’s elite defenders:
- 99th percentile perimeter isolation defender
- 96th percentile D-LEBRON
- 97th percentile multi-year D-LEBRON
Offensively, Daniels is a high-level connective playmaker who thrives in transition and secondary creation roles. His court vision and decision-making allow him to function as both a lead guard and secondary initiator.
During the 2025–26 season, Daniels averaged career highs in assists and took over as Atlanta’s starting point guard following injuries and roster changes involving Trae Young.
His primary developmental area remains perimeter shooting. Daniels shot 18.8% from three-point range during the 2025–26 campaign, a significant challenge that impacted his offensive gravity and spacing value. Despite that, his overall offensive impact improved substantially through better screening, rebounding and playmaking.
Career
Daniels was born in Bendigo, Victoria, and developed through the Australian basketball pathway after initially playing Australian rules football during his junior years.
He represented the Bendigo Braves in NBL1 before joining the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, where he emerged as one of Australia’s premier junior prospects.
In 2021, Daniels signed with NBA G League Ignite rather than pursuing NCAA or NBL Next Stars opportunities. Competing against professional-level opposition accelerated his development and elevated his NBA Draft stock.
In 26 games with Ignite, Daniels averaged:
- 12.0 points
- 7.1 rebounds
- 5.1 assists
- 2.0 steals
His combination of size, defence and playmaking led to the New Orleans Pelicans selecting him with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Daniels spent two seasons with New Orleans before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in July 2024 as part of the Dejounte Murray deal alongside EJ Liddell, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller and future first-round draft compensation.
The move to Atlanta unlocked a larger offensive role.
Following Trae Young’s injury early in the 2025–26 season and subsequent trade to the Washington Wizards, Daniels shifted into primary point guard responsibilities while continuing to anchor Atlanta’s perimeter defence.
His impact metrics surged dramatically:
- LEBRON: 1.02 → 2.18
- WAR: 5.62 → 7.33
- O-LEBRON: -0.46 → +0.16
Those numbers placed Daniels among the NBA’s most impactful players and drew comparisons to prime Ben Simmons during his All-Star years.
Australian Boomers
Daniels made his senior Australian Boomers debut at just 17 years old and is viewed as a foundational piece of Australia’s national team future.
He represented Australia at multiple junior international tournaments before transitioning into the senior program, where his defensive versatility and playmaking quickly translated to FIBA basketball.
One of his most memorable national team moments came during Australia’s Olympic preparation games in 2024 when he scored a game-winning reverse layup against France.
Five Fast Facts
- Daniels made his Boomers debut at age 17.
- His father, Ricky Daniels, played college basketball at NC State before a professional career in Australia.
- Daniels previously played Australian rules football before committing fully to basketball.
- He played in the 2022 NBA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend.
- Daniels signed a reported USD $100 million contract extension with Atlanta in 2025.
Career Highlights Timeline
- 2018 – Won gold with Australia at the FIBA Oceania Under-15 Championship
- 2019 – Signed with the Bendigo Braves in NBL1
- 2021 – Joined NBA G League Ignite
- 2022 – Selected No. 8 overall in the NBA Draft by New Orleans
- 2024 – Traded to the Atlanta Hawks
- 2025 – Signed USD $100M contract extension with Atlanta
- 2025–26 – Emerged as an All-Star level defensive impact player
Even without elite scoring numbers, Daniels’ combination of defence, playmaking and winning impact has already elevated him into one of the league’s most valuable young role players – and potentially much more.
