Getty John Collins (right) of the Hawks
It does not seem long ago—it was 2019-20, in fact—that Hawks big man John Collins was a rising young NBA star, averaging 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds, one of just four players to put up a 20-and-10 stat line that year. Three years later, though, Collins is on the outs in Atlanta, and as the Hawks sink in the standings, his status as a trade target has skyrocketed.
One NBA general manager called Collins, “the best guy out there who is gettable at the deadline, if you want a difference-maker. He is the fallen-star type, and maybe just a new location is all he really needs.” That is, in large part, thanks to Collins’ production. His contract, though, makes him a difficult asset to move, as he makes $23.5 million this year and is slated to earn $79 million over the next three years.
There have been conversations aplenty about Collins. The Athletic reported that Collins is being pursued by the Nets, Jazz, Mavericks and Wizards. Yahoo! Sports added the Pacers to that mix. League sources tell Heavy Sports that others, including the Bulls, Heat and Blazers, have at least inquired about Collins, even if the interest led nowhere.
Lurking in the background: the defending-champ Warriors, who are weighing the possibility of making a major move to take advantage of their ongoing (but closing) championship window.
We asked NBA executives about the possibilities for a Collins deal, which will prove difficult to pull off because the Hawks want a player who can contribute, especially defensively, plus a draft pick or young prospect for Collins. Here’s how they size up the suitors.
Eastern Conference Playoff Teams Eyeing Collins
Miami Heat
Potential deal: Collins to Miami for Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic and Max Strus.
Eastern Conference executive: “Man, Robinson needs a change of scenery. Just getting him somewhere else and letting him play, let him build up his confidence again—he can be a dangerous floor-spacer for a team like Atlanta with Trae (Young) and (Dejounte) Murray. The Heat really like the potential Jovic has but they are an old team, they need to win now and Collins fills a huge need for them. But Atlanta does not want to fall off the map and taking a risk on Robinson, that is too much of a gamble.”
Brooklyn Nets
Potential deal: Collins to Brooklyn for Day’Ron Sharpe, Joe Harris and a 2027 first-round pick.
Eastern Conference GM: “Anything that Brooklyn would be able to do is going to cost them Joe Harris and that pick, you have to figure. They have been reluctant to move Harris but if they’re going to do something significant, they will need his contract. (Collins) could help the Nets, he takes a lot of offensive pressure off KD (Kevin Durant). It could be this is as good as the Hawks are going to get. They need shooting and they need defense, but they probably are not going to get both in a deal.”
Washington Wizards
Potential deal: Collins to Washington for Kyle Kuzma, Rui Hachimura and Johnny Davis.
Eastern Conference GM: “Atlanta is in a tricky situation because, do they want to rebuild or just retool and stay competitive? It’s probably the second one. So if you can bring in a guy like Kuzma who can help you now and a couple of guys who can maybe develop—everyone has a different view on Rui and how good he is, and Davis was a Top 10 pick—that is a decent get for the Hawks. And the Wizards really are trying to be as competitive as possible right now while they have Bradley Beal.”
Chicago Bulls
Potential deal: Collins to Chicago for Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Portland’s 2023 first-round pick.
Eastern Conference executive: “The Bulls have not budged off their stance on Patrick Williams, which is basically that they’re not even discussing him. If you are going to get a player like Collins, it is going to cost you Williams, I can’t see Coby White being enough. But it gets Atlanta out of the (Collins) contract and they’re looking to do that.”
Interest in Collins Coming From the West
Dallas Mavericks
Potential deal: Collins to Dallas for Christian Wood, Josh Green and Frank Ntilikina.
Western Conference executive: “The Hawks would probably want more, they’d want a pick or Jaden hardy, something like that, but the Mavs really like Josh Green and they’re not talking about dealing him at this point. Anything can change, though. One of the problems is, do you think Collins is a big upgrade over Christian Wood? By reputation, yes. But when you talk about production, they’re not that far off, and Wood is cheaper. Dallas could offer more assets, more young assets, and put (Davis) Bertans in the deal but I doubt Atlanta goes for that.”
Utah Jazz
Potential deal: Collins to Utah for Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Eastern Conference executive: “Utah has been tough holding on to Vanderbilt, he has probably gotten as much interest as anyone else on that roster but he is young and he plays good defense. That is why the Hawks would want him, they need someone who can defend. You’d assume the Jazz would look to trade Collins down the line, maybe around the draft, and putting together a couple of good assets for a great one would work out in the long run. But it is a deal that the Hawks would have to think a lot about, it addresses a couple of their big problems.”
Golden State Warriors
Potential deal: Collins to Golden State for Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Donte DiVincenzo.
Western Conference executive: “(The Warriors) could be looking at what is out there for their young guys now. It has not worked out for them the way they thought it would, and it was always a little bit of a risk there, trying to plug guys like Wiseman and Kuminga and Moses Moody into the rotation now. They’re always quiet about what they do, though, so no one can say for sure what the plan is there. I doubt they’d deal away both Kuminga and Wiseman, but there’s no other way to get back a big piece, just because of the contract, unless they do something like that.”