This past offseason saw the Atlanta Hawks swing for the fences, adding to their core of Trae Young and John Collins by trading for Dejounte Murray. Just over halfway through the 2023-24 season, we haven’t seen the move pay off, with the Hawks winning slightly less than they did a year ago (52.4% compared to 47.6%).
The Hawks recently made some changes to the front office, with Kyle Korver being named the assistant general manager. But Atlanta could soon be making some alterations to their roster once again as well.
According to Marc Stein, the Hawks have recently given Collins and his agent permission to seek a trade out of Atlanta.
“In recent weeks, league sources say, Atlanta has blessed John Collins’ representatives to do their own searching for a deal construction that enables Collins to move on to a long-anticipated new address after constant trade speculation involving the sixth-year forward stretching across multiple transaction cycles”
NBA insider Marc Stein on John Collins trade rumors (H/T to Yahoo Sports)
While Collins is sure to generate plenty of interest, Stein named a few teams who have reached out as of late, including Brooklyn, Indiana, Utah, and Washington.
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Atlanta Hawks lower asking price for John Collins
The John Collins trade rumors are nothing new. While he averaged 21.6 points per game as a 22-year-old in his third NBA season, Collins has seen his numbers dwindle down ever since. This has reportedly been a leading factor in why the now-25-year-old power forward wants out of town, as he seeks a situation where he can once again become a bigger part of the offense.
Still, teams know what Collins can do, and despite past trade efforts coming up short, there’s reason to believe a deal could get done ahead of the February 9 NBA trade deadline.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Hawks have recently greatly lowered their asking price for Collins. Previously believed to be seeking at least a first-round pick, Atlanta is now said to be requesting simply a “quality player” in return for Collins.
- John Collins stats in 2022-23: 13.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 23.6 3PT%, 49.6% FG
While the trade cost for Collins is said to be shrinking, so has Collins’ production, but his increasing salary is also providing some caution to potential NBA trade deadline buyers. Collins is making $23.5 million this season, and the amount increases to $25.3 million next year. He is under contract through 2024-25 and holds an additional player option for the following season as well.
In the end, the Hawks’ stubbornness in past trade talks could lead to a diminished trade return for their talented scorer, but at this point, any change that can help improve the roster as a whole should be viewed as a win. Ditto for Collins, who is desperate for a change of scenery as he looks to re-spark his career.
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