Dyson Daniels Of Atlanta Hawks Named NBA's Most Improved Player In 2025

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has been crowned the National Basketball League (NBA) 2025 Most Improved Player, the league announced Wednesday (April 30). Daniels beat out Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and L.A. Clippers center Ivica Zubac for the honor, receiving 44 first-place votes and totaling 332 points, nearly twice as many as runner-up Zubac. Cunningham finished third with 122 points. Daniels is the second player in Hawks history to win the award, following Alan Henderson in the 1997-98 season.

After spending two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, Daniels joined the Hawks this year and took a major leap in production. He averaged career-highs across the board: 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and a league-best 3.0 steals per game. His field goal percentage also jumped to 49.3% from 43.5% over his first two seasons. Earning a permanent spot in Atlanta’s starting lineup, Daniels transformed into a two-way force and one of the league's premier perimeter defenders. Cade Cunningham posted impressive numbers—26.1 points and 9.1 assists per game, helping lead the Pistons to their first playoff berth since 2019. Zubac averaged 16.8 points and a career-high 12.6 rebounds for the Clippers in a strong campaign of his own.

The Most Improved Player Award is determined by a panel of 100 media members who vote after the regular season. Daniels joins a group of newly announced award winners, including Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle (San Antonio), Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley (Cleveland), Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson (New York), and Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard (Boston).

Despite Daniels’ stellar season, the Hawks finished 40-42 and were eliminated in the play-in tournament after losses to Orlando and Miami. Daniels’ defensive prowess was historic: his 229 total steals were the most in a season since Gary Payton's 231 in 1995-96. His 3.0 steals per game marked the highest average since Alvin Robertson’s 1990-91 season. He became the fifth player since 1973-74 to average at least 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a season, joining legendary names like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Michael Ray Richardson, and Robertson.

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