Getty John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after hitting a three-point basket against the Boston Celtics.
Big-man John Collins, who not so long ago reportedly left $90 million on the table during failed extension talks with the Atlanta Hawks, looks to be on the verge of a mega payday. The versatile power forward has been vocal in the past about his desire to earn a max contract and by the sound of it, he will have no shortage of potential suitors should he reach restricted free agency. Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer has reported that the Dallas Mavericks are expected to make a “significant offer” to Collins this offseason, and it looks like they won’t be alone.
The Miami Heat and New York Knicks are among several other teams who view Collins as the No. 1 power forward in free agency and are positioned to sign him to an offer sheet starting at $28 million for the first season according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, via NBA Central.
Yet, what if Collins was moved before free agency?
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A Celtics-John Collins Trade ‘Not Impossible’
The 23-year-old has been commonly floated as an ideal trade target for the Boston Celtics, who will be looking to make good use of their record-setting $28.5 million traded player exception at the trade deadline. Problem is, Atlanta’s reportedly steep asking price for Collins’ services (a high first-round, lottery-level pick, per Shams Charania) made an eventual deal appear unlikely – although as a panel of analysts at The Athletic recently showed, “not impossible.”
With both Celtics and Hawks writers at their disposal, the crew tossed around numerous failed trade proposals until one actually stuck. Here’s the hypothetical deal in its entirety:
- Boston Celtics Receive:
- John Collins, F
- Atlanta Hawks Receive:
- Payton Pritchard, G
- Carsen Edwards, G
- 2021 first-round pick
- 2023 first-round pick
- 2025 first-round pick (top-25 protected)
Does a John Collins Trade Make Sense for the Cs?
Hawks writer Chris Kirschner weighed in on the deal, highlighting the fact that Boston may lack the high-end young talent that Atlanta may be in search of for a Collins trade. Yet, he added that if the organization has no plans on matching a $100 million offer sheet for the versatile big-man then they should likely pull the trigger.
If this is the best deal Schlenk thinks he can get, and he knows he isn’t going to match a $100-plus million offer sheet, then it makes sense. I, personally, wouldn’t feel great about it, but these are the tough decisions general managers have to make when it comes to team building.
I think that’s enough draft capital to get a deal done with Boston. Definitely would see if any team wanted to include a better young player in the deal before making this one, but with the possibility of three firsts, let’s make a deal.
Danny Ainge has made it clear that the Cs are in search of a big with shooting abilities. Collins would seemingly fit that billing. He’s proven himself as a reliable perimeter presence, shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range over his last 74 games. He’s also just one season removed from averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. While he may not be the most dominant defensive player in the league, he’s taken steps forward this year. As analyst Jared Weiss noted during the roundtable, Collins has improved as a help-side defender in 2020-21. Furthermore, the Hawks as a team are eight points better when Collins is on the floor, per Cleaning The Glass.
The biggest caveat in a Collins deal, Weis believes the forward desires a four-year deal worth over $100 million. Making a move for the big fella would almost certainly entail a pricey commitment. Yet for the Celtics’ sake, in their current predicament, taking a leap of faith may not be out of the question.
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