Now that the Washington Wizards have locked in their superstar Bradley Beal with a five-year, $251 million extension, the attention turns to building up the roster around him. As is, the Wizards have a decent foundation led by Beal, complemented by Kristaps Porzingis, but there’s a desire to go further. Could John Collins be a part of the next chapter to bring the Wizards back to the playoffs?
The talented power forward is on a deep Atlanta Hawks roster, but trade rumors surrounding Collins have run rampant for several years now, as suggestions hint at him being unhappy with his role. Is it possible the Hawks are still looking to trade the 24-year-old? And if so, would the Wizards actually get involved?
Wizards are the ‘most engaged’ for John Collins
As far as whether the Hawks would trade Collins or not? Well who knows. We’ve been trying to uncover the answer to this question for many years, and they’ve appeared close to pulling the trigger several times, whether it was at last year’s trade deadline or during the NBA Draft. But, here we are, and Collins is set to enter his sixth season in Atlanta.
But, if the Hawks are still kicking around a potential Collins trade, even after adding to their core, the Wizards have been the ‘most engaged‘ according to Carmichael Dave. Though it should be noted, this report comes from June 30, the idea doesn’t appear to be dead.
Neither Washington, Sacramento (the other team linked), nor Atlanta have made a bigger deal since, hinting that a Collins trade may no longer be in the works. Which to me means there’s still a possibility Collins wants out.
Related: 3 moves the Washington Wizards should still make after blockbuster trade
Putting together a John Collins trade package for Wizards
- Wizards get: John Collins
- Hawks get: Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, future first round pick
Putting together a strong John Collins trade offer for the Wizards isn’t a simple task. They don’t have a ton of young, tradeable talent, or big contracts that still offer value to other teams. But they do have Kyle Kuzma, who’s a sharp two-way talent and still just 26 and on a reasonable contract. He’s not as good or valuable as Collins, but he’s a piece that can help the Hawks immediately.
Kispert was the 15th pick just over 12 months ago and started 36 games for the Wizards at small forward, he might be able to help replace Kevin Huerter long-term in Atlanta. If his 35% 3-three-point percentage showed as a rookie, it’s that the 23-year-old can shoot, which was also Huerter’s best trait.
Who knows what the ninth pick from the 2020 NBA Draft can do. While Deni Avdija is still just 21 years old, maybe a change of scenery will do him good. He’s improved each season, if he can take a big leap this summer, the Hawks could be adding a few sleepers to the roster.
For the Wizards, adding Collins to a frontcourt that also has the 7-foot-3 Porzingis would give the Wizards an intimidating duo that can both score and defend. Suddenly they’d have a three-headed monster with Beal spitting fire as the head of the dragon. It just might be enough to have some postseason success.
If Collins is dead set on getting out of Atlanta, the team may not feel they have much of a choice but to trade him. Does that mean they’ll take an offer from the Wizards? Not exactly, but it’s at least possible. Without the Wizards going all out, mortgaging their future by shipping out draft picks, this may be just about the best they can offer. I’m just not sure it’s enough to get a deal completed.
Related: Potential John Collins to Sacramento Kings deal not dead yet