Heat Proposal Ditches Duncan Robinson in Trade for $125 Million Star

Getty Duncan Robinson of the Miami Heat guards John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks. Collins has been linked to Miami in trade rumors.

The 2022-23 season has been an uphill battle for the Miami Heat. Miami has dealt with a wide range of injuries and hasn’t quite been the team fans watched nearly make the Finals last year. After a blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks on January 20, the Heat find themselves tied with the New York Knicks for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

If Pat Riley wants to see his team make any sort of substantial playoff run, it seems that he may have to bring in some talent via trade.

One player that has been thrown around quite a bit as a potential target is John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks. During a January 19 stream for Bleacher Report, NBA YouTuber “Three Cone” pitched the following trade that would land the 25-year-old in South Beach:

Heat Receive: John Collins

Hawks Receive: Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson, Miami’s 2023 first-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick (via OKC, DAL, or PHI)

Collins has had a disappointing season so far for the Hawks, after signing a $125 million extension last summer. He’s appeared in 38 of Atlanta’s 46 games, playing 31.2 minutes each time. The 25-year-old averages 13.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, while shooting 51.2% from the field and 26% from deep.

Heat’s Offer for John Collins Turned Down by Hawks

Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney reported that Miami had a very similar offer to the one above rejected by Atlanta already.

“They had discussions with Atlanta about John Collins that have since gone dormant, a deal that would potentially send Duncan Robinson and (Caleb) Martin to the Hawks (perhaps with a protected draft pick),” he wrote.

If that was the proposal, then it makes sense that Atlanta turned it down. Back on January 9 Heavy reported that the Hawks had a steep asking price for Collins.

“What you are seeing with Collins now is that the Hawks want him to be treated like an All-Star, they want a big-time return for Collins—not quite like the Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell trades, but something in that neighborhood,” an anonymous Eastern Conference Executive told Heavy Sports.

However, it seems since then the price has come down. On the January 18 edition of NBA Countdown, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnorowski provided an update on the asking price for Collins.

“John Collins has been at the center of their trade talks… Starting next year, still owed another $25 million a year, $75 million over the next three years,” Woj said. “I think that’s been a hindrance in the trade market. There are some teams, such as Utah, that would like a draft pick with Collins to offset the money… Landry Fields, the new general manager in Atlanta, he does not see John Collins as a money dump.”

Zach Collins, Doug McDermott Listed as Potential Trade Targets for Miami

Atlanta’s Collins hasn’t been the only name linked to Miami in trade rumors. He’s not even the only Collins.

In a January 19 article for the Miami Herald, Barry Jackson pitched that Zach Collins and Doug McDermott from the San Antonio Spurs as potential trade targets for the Heat.

The pair has been reliable from 3-point land this season. Collins has shot 37% from deep and McDermott has shot 41%.

Shooting is definitely something that the Heat could use some help with. For the season Miami ranks 26th in 3-point percentage, shooting just 33.7 percent. That’s quite the drop off from last year, when they shot a league-best 37.9% from 3-point land.