NBA Trade Rumors: Exploring the 3 best possible trade destinations for John Collins.
After the Atlanta Hawks‘ surprise Eastern Conference finals run just last season, the team agreed to a five-year, $125 million extension with young star John Collins. Just a few months later, Collins is drawing extensive interest from many teams in the trade market.
The 24-year-old’s contract runs through the 2025-26 season, meaning any team trading for him would have to view him as a part of their future. A player making that sort of money has to be someone to build around, and Collins has proven himself as a complementary fringe star next to point guard Trae Young.
This season, Collins is averaging 17.3 points and 7.8 rebounds on 54.3 percent shooting and 44.3 percent shooting from distance. The Wake Forest product’s ability to both finish around the rim and stretch the opposing defense from beyond the arc makes him a unique offensive threat, a type of player that almost any team would love to add to their roster.
His main problem lies on the defensive end. Ideally, Collins would be able to hold up as a small-ball center, standing at 6-foot-9, but he hasn’t been able to be effective from that position so far in his career. He’s had to play alongside either Clint Capela or Onyeka Okungwo to maintain a productive defensive unit, as any lineup with him at center gives up points at will.
On the whole, Collins has been one of the Hawks’ few positives this year, as he has the highest net rating of any rotational player (+9.4). Despite this, the big man is upset with his lack of concrete role in the offense, as his field-goal attempts have decreased each of the last two seasons. With the Hawks in the midst of a disastrous season, sitting at 17-25, 12th in the Eastern Conference, Collins is on the trade market.
A player of this caliber at just 24 years of age will garner interest from plenty of teams around the league, but let’s look at three individual destinations that make sense for both the team and the Hawks.
John Collins destination No. 1: Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks and Hawks have their fair share of history, highlighted by the blockbuster draft-night swap of Trae Young and Luka Doncic. Now, as the teams are seemingly going in opposite directions, it makes sense for the Mavs to take a run at Collins.
A frontcourt of Collins and Kristaps Porzingis would instantly become one of the most dynamic in the league. The Latvian is continuing to find his way in the Dallas averaging above 20 points a game again this year. He’s having a poor shooting year, only hitting 29 percent of his 3-point attempts, but that number’s bound to level out in the second half of this season.
The addition of Collins would give the Mavericks and Doncic an additional scorer alongside Jalen Brunson and the aforementioned Porzingis. Being able to kick the ball out to productive shooters is essential for the Dallas offense, with both Luka and Porzingis shooting under 30 percent from distance this season.
A potential lineup of Doncic, Brunson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Collins, and Porzingis would be nearly impossible to stop on the offensive end, as all five players are capable scorers with the ball in their hands.
From the Hawks’ perspective, the Mavericks have interesting pieces to offer. Prototypical 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith is an unrestricted free agent after this season, who could easily re-sign in Atlanta. He could help develop a defensive culture, something that is greatly needed if the Hawks want to turn their season around.
Additionally, Dallas has a variety of first-round picks to offer, along with rotational players such as Maxi Kleber and Reggie Bullock. A combination of mid-range salaries and first-round draft selections would make this trade work. Although the Hawks wouldn’t be acquiring the big name in return for Collins, it would be granting them much more cap flexibility, along with draft capital for moves in the future.
John Collins destination No. 2: San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs would be able to offer Collins the larger offensive role that he’s asking for. At 16-27, San Antonio’s in the midst of a rebuild, with multiple young players growing on a game-to-game basis. A young core of Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, and Devin Vassell, have the potential to make noise in a few years.
The Spurs could speed up the rebuilding process by formulating a trade for Collins, an offensive option in the frontcourt for the team’s young ball-handlers. Both Murray and White would succeed with a more productive roll man – while Jakob Poeltl has made strides as a player, he can’t compare to Collins’ finishing ability and athleticism.
A trade centering around Collins and Derrick White would be intriguing for both sides, as the Hawks pick up another on-ball creator to play alongside Trae Young, while the Spurs begin to build a more dynamic offense. Centering their rebuild around a tandem of Dejounte Murray and Collins would help bring direction to their roster and timeline.
Murray, Johnson, and Vassell are all capable defenders, with the former rising to all-defensive levels, and are all locked up for at least the next three years considering restricted free agency. Add the five years from John Collins’ contract, and the San Antonio Spurs could be looking at the next core for their perennial playoff appearances.
With Derrick White being the oldest of their young core at age 27, it makes sense to move on from him to move back your contending timeline to align with the rest of your roster. With both Johnson and Vassell under 23, there’s no need to rush the process.
John Collins destination No. 3: Philadelphia 76ers
A potential John Collins-Ben Simmons swap has been all the talk of late, and it seems to be only gaining steam. With the 76ers under tons of pressure to get anything back for the all-star, a trade with the Hawks would be beneficial for both sides.
One of the biggest issues for Atlanta this season has been their lackluster defensive effort and scheme, something that Simmons can immediately improve. So far, they sit in 28th in defensive rating, only above Portland and Houston.
The initial fit on the offensive end will be difficult, as both Young and Simmons have almost exclusively operated with the ball in their hands. As a non-shooter, Simmons can only be effective without the ball in halfcourt sets when he’s rolling to the rim or in the dunker spot, something that Trae can expertly take advantage of.
A pick-and-roll between Young and Simmons can be impossible to stop, considering Ben’s finishing and passing ability if he gets the ball under the basket. Ideally, this offense wouldn’t be run with a traditional center such as Clint Capela on the floor, as he would clog the lane, hindering Simmons’ effectiveness.
On the other hand, John Collins could easily slot in next to Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid in the frontcourt, providing another viable offensive option to the Philadelphia lineup. Harris has not proven himself as a number two option in the biggest of games, and while the team is benefitting greatly from impressive seasons from Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry, neither are exactly playoff-tested.
Getting a player of Collins’ caliber at this point in the Ben Simmons saga would be a win for the Philadelphia 76ers front office and Daryl Morey. It’s a situation where you acquire the talented player first, then figure out how you’re going to use him later.
He would ideally provide another offensive element both around the rim and beyond the arc, helping space the floor for Embiid when he’s in the post. This move would improve both teams in the long haul if they’re willing to make the blockbuster trade.