The Sacramento Kings have shown they’re not afraid to make big changes to their roster. Last season’s midseason trade sending Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis was the latest example. With the franchise set to pick fourth in Thursday’s NBA Draft, many other rumors are popping up, including one about trading for John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks.
Let’s break down what a potential Collins trade to the Kings could look like and examine the fit.
John Collins would be an odd fit in Sacramento
On the surface, the news Shams Charania passes along of the Kings being interested in John Collins sounds brilliant. Yet, the Kings just traded a promising young guard in Haliburton last season only to acquire Sabonis, who plays power forward, the same position as Collins. Unless the Kings envision a starting frontcourt of Collins at the four and Sabonis at the five, I just don’t see it.
Richaun Holmes is a solid starter, but I suppose he could be brought off the bench as well unless he’s a part of a trade elsewhere. Or, even crazier, maybe the Kings are already looking to move off from Sabonis, and maybe that’s part of the Collins trade talks.
From a basketball standpoint, if we’re ignoring the current Kings depth chart, Collins is a borderline All-Star talent. Collins is a bouncy forward who brings 16 points per game to the table. He gets those points in a variety of ways, whether it’s playing above the rim, using an array of post moves, or stepping out to take threes. Collins can do it all from a scoring standpoint.
Averaging a block per game, Collins is a plus defender who also holds his own as a rebounder. Teams love his athleticism and high-flying ability, which would play well with De’Aaron Fox. It all depends on the potential trade cost.
Related: Sacramento Kings: 3 trade targets with No. 4 pick in NBA Draft
What a Sacramento Kings-John Collins trade could look like
- Kings get: John Collins
- Hawks get: Harrison Barnes, 2023 first-round pick (top-10 protected), pick No. 37 in 2022 Draft
As the initial report suggests, the Kings are talking to the Hawks about a John Collins trade, but discussions have not involved the fourth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. If the reports are true and if there’s true mutual interest in getting a deal done, the details could get tricky.
The Kings, even if they were to draft point guard Jaden Ivey, likely aren’t ready to part with De’Aaron Fox or Davion Mitchell. Even if they were, the Hawks already have their point guard with Trae Young.
Other players who might not be available would be Domantas Sabonis, since he was a recent acquisition. This means the Kings would have to get semi-creative to entice the Hawks.
I’m not sure a package of Harrison Barnes, a future first, and an early pick in the second round of next week’s draft gets a John Collins trade completed. Chances are, other teams can offer a more intriguing offer. As is, I’m not sure this trade gets done. Swapping Barnes for Richaun Holmes offers a different package, but is it better? We’ll see whether there’s any more smoke linking Collins to the Kings, but for now it seems like an odd fit.
Related: 3 ideal John Collins trade scenarios from the Atlanta Hawks, including Zion Williamson