You’ve probably heard of Dyson Daniels, who is having a breakout year for the Hawks. His younger brother Dash is next in line and is considered one of the best prospects in the 2026 NBA draft. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has him ranked 20th in his class. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has called him “a potential future lottery pick.”
Daniels will play with Melbourne United of the NBL during the 2025-26 season as part of its Next Stars program that will start in September. Nine players out of that program have been drafted directly into the NBA, including his brother Dyson, Josh Giddey, LaMelo Ball, and Alex Sarr. Dash has a strong chance to be the fifth lottery pick to come out of that program.
Comparisons to Dyson are inevitable. As a polished 17-year-old, Dash is regarded by many as the better prospect than Dyson was. He’s already bigger than Dyson was at that time, standing at 6-foot-6 with an impressive 6-foot-10 wingspan and weighing in at 198 pounds
Important signing for the NBL Next Stars program in Dash Daniels, a potential future lottery pick local who decided to stay home. Already bigger, longer, and stronger than Dyson at the same age, and brings many of the same traits defensively.
ESPN story: https://t.co/sme5CPWDrv https://t.co/7GJOvkj7nT pic.twitter.com/phuaxDn1Fq
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 13, 2024
Daniels describes himself as an all-around player.
“I like to do a little bit of everything, but it all starts with my defense,” Daniels told Sporting News on a recent trip to Atlanta to visit his brother.
That defense has already caught the eye of pro scouts. He led the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup tournament in steals per game, showing the same natural ability that has made his brother one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.
“Defense relies a lot on instincts. You can’t really teach that stuff. It’s just natural to us that we can read those lanes and pick off passes. You gotta know where the ball is going, read the play, know how much time is on the clock, all those little things,” Dash says.
Dyson and Dash were born with that skill in a basketball-crazed family. Their father Ricky played college basketball for North Carolina State and was a two-time MVP in the Australian Basketball Association. Oldest brother Kai also plays professionally. Did all of them share that same defensive acumen?
“Um, definitely not,” Dash admits. Kai is more of a scorer, and Ricky was an interior bruiser. Each Daniels is his own player, and Dash has the most point guard skills in the family. As the youngest brother, he was always pushed to be at his best.
“I was five years younger than them. They never took it easy on me. Always just beat me up, beat me 11-0. I definitely got really mad at that and set a goal to try and be better than them.”
Dyson knows what it takes to make it to the NBA, and he uses that tough love approach on his brother. He even beats him up while Dash is in bed.
“That helps a lot with strength, and being a competitor as well,” Dash says.
NBL
Dash isn’t just an elite defender. He can also score, thanks to a lightning-quick first step and great touch around the basket.
There’s something about the NBA Global Academy in Australia that lends itself to creating great floaters for its alumni. Josh Giddey has one, as does Dyson. Dash is no different. His touch on that shot already gives him a weapon to beat big men.
“Once you master it, it’s probably the easiest shot in the game. If there’s a big in the paint, you can float it up and get an easy two points,” Dash says.
Dash also has the speed and athleticism to get to the rim. He names his closest NBA comps as a little bit of Jrue Holiday, Anthony Edwards, and De’Aaron Fox, quicker players that excel on both ends of the floor and have the ability to get to the rim. He’s versatile enough to play 1-through-3 but thinks of himself as mainly a point guard.
Dash is hyper-focused on making that NBA goal a reality. He turned down significant NIL money in order to play in Australia’s NBL because he felt it would better prepare him for the physicality that he will face at the next level. The Next Stars program also has a proven pathway of getting its prospects into the NBA, and Dash has already checked off one of his early goals by making it into the prestigious league.
Dash is in many ways following in the footsteps of Dyson but competing to be even better. Dash believes that he’s better at getting to the rim than Dyson was at 17. Dash does admit that Dyson has better defensive anticipation right now. Oh, and they both enjoy similar musical tastes, but Dash insists that his are slightly better.
The next comparison between the two will come in 17 months, when Dash tries to be drafted higher than Dyson was as the No. 8 pick of the 2022 draft. He has a good chance to do exactly that.
