NBA Trade Rumors: The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly more motivated to move John Collins.
Just last offseason, John Collins denied a large contract extension offer from the Atlanta Hawks. In essence, that move was Collins indicating to the Hawks (and the rest of the league) that he believed he was worth a max extension. And he expects to get one when he hits the restricted free agency market this offseason.
Because of that, it has prompted the Hawks to make a clear decision on how they view the young forward. Less than two weeks ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, it appears that Atlanta may be willing to move the All-Star caliber big.
According to a report from The Athletic (subscription required), the Hawks could be inching closer to moving Collins. Two teams that have been linked to Collins recently have been the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics.
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Collins is having another sensational year, despite the small reduction in production. He’s averaging 18 points and eight rebounds per game on 53 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range.
He’s viewed as a key part of the Hawks and has been consistently the team’s second-best player, behind Trae Young. Though, with all the money the team has tied in Clint Capela, Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and with the upcoming big-money extension expected for Young, it could be difficult for Atlanta to find the max money that Collins desires.
That could force the Hawks to move Collins ahead of the offseason in which they could possibly lose him for nothing on the open market. If the Hawks are indeed motivated to move Collins, it could make for an interesting week and a half ahead of the trade deadline.
Collins would immediately become the biggest name and most talented player on the trade market. The Atlanta Hawks could throw a huge wrench in the NBA Trade Deadline if John Collins is indeed available.
We just have to play the wait-and-see game to see if this latest report is more fire than smoke at this point.