Atlanta Hawks Make Important Contract Decisions On Dyson Daniels and Kobe Bufkin

The Hawks announced two important contract decisions for Bufkin and Daniels this afternoon

Oct 25, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) drives the ball against Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards (4) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Thursday was the deadline for the Atlanta Hawks to exercise the contract options for Dyson Daniels, Kobe Bufkin, and David Roddy and the Hawks announced today that they were exercising the options for Bufkin and Daniels. In the team's announcement, they did not say anything about Roddy's option, but according to Brad Rowland of the Locked on Podcast Network, the Hawks are not going to be picking up the option on Roddy and he will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Per source, the Hawks are not picking up David Roddy’s 4th-year option.

It would’ve been for about $4.8 million.

Roddy will be a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season. https://t.co/Rj6HFWJ7u5

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) October 30, 2024

This seemed like a no brainer for the Hawks. Daniels has been pivotal for the team so far this season and while Bufkin has had trouble with injuries, he promises to play a role for the Hawks when healthy

Selected by the Hawks with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Bufkin appeared in 17 games during his rookie season, notching 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 11.5 minutes. The Michigan product scored his first NBA point at Milwaukee on Oct. 29, knocking down a free throw.

He saw action in 14 games (all starts) with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League in 2023-24, averaging 23.6 points, 5.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 32.0 minutes. He netted 34 points in his Skyhawks debut on Dec. 27 against Greensboro, marking the most points scored in a Skyhawks’ debut in club history. In a win over the Motor City Cruise on Jan. 15, Bufkin tallied 12 points, 12 assists and five steals in 36 minutes, becoming the first Skyhawk in franchise history to contribute 10+ points, 10+ assists and 5+ steals in a single outing.

Daniels, who was acquired by Atlanta on July 6, 2024 from New Orleans, has appeared in four games (all starts) for the Hawks this season, posting 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.0 block in 32.5 minutes (.500 FG%, .353 3FG%). He currently leads the NBA in total steals (11) and deflections (28). His 28 deflections are 12 more than the next closest players (Nikola Jokic, Marcus Smart, Cason Wallace and Jonathan Mogbo all have 16 deflections).

A 2024 Panini Rising Star, Daniels recorded 1.4 steals per game during the 2023-24 campaign, the 10th-most in the NBA, and owned a .341 steal percentage last season, ranking fifth in the league (min. 50 GP). He recorded a career-high six steals at Utah on Nov. 25, becoming the only second-year player to record at least six steals in a single game this past season and one of only two first-or-second year players to do so, joining Victor Wembanyama. He recorded all six steals in the first half, tied for the most steals in a single half in the NBA this past season and tied for the second-most steals in a single half in New Orleans history.

Selected eighth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Pelicans, the 6-7 guard owns career averages of 5.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 20.4 minutes in 124 games (31 starts). Prior to the Pelicans, he spent the 2021-22 season with the NBA G League Ignite, where he was named to the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars roster.

Daniels, a native of Bendigo, Australia, played for Australia in the 2024 Paris Olympic

Additional Links:

Hawks vs Wizards: Spread and Score Predictions

Hawks vs Wizards: Game Preview, Injury Report, Betting Odds, Projected Starting Lineups For Tonight's Game

Which Backup Point Guard Could Atlanta Add in Free Agency?