One of the biggest surprises of last season was the Atlanta Hawks making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals and being one of the final four teams standings in the NBA. However, this is starting to look like a distant memory for Hawks’ fans, as Atlanta has struggled this season.
Trae Young is an All-Star starter this season, marking the second straight year that he will be in the All-Star Game, but the Hawks as a whole are just 24-25 and hanging onto the 10-seed in the Eastern Conference by their talons!
After being the 5-seed last season, the Hawks have really regressed this season due to the fact that their defense has been underachieving. Last season, Atlanta really turned things on defensively at the end of the year, helping them beat the Knicks and 76ers en route to the Eastern Conference Finals.
This season though, the Hawks rank just 27th in defensive rating and really need to switch things up ahead of next week’s trade deadline.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavs, Spurs Teams To Watch In Event Of John Collins Trade
They already dealt Cam Reddish to the Knicks, but this is not the only move Atlanta is prepared to make. John Collins has been their number two option next to Trae Young through the years, but his time with the Hawks could be coming to an end, even after he just signed a five-year, $125M contract in the offseason!
Frustrations have been boiling over in the Hawks’ locker room recently and Collins seems to be at the center of these frustrations.
There were talks in the past about the Hawks possibly looking to leverage John Collins for Ben Simmons and The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported recently that Collins has grown “increasingly frustrated” over his role with the Hawks due to his shot attempts and usage decreasing.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavs, Spurs Teams To Watch In Event Of John Collins Trade
It would be hard to move John Collins for value at the trade deadline given his contract, but it is possible that the Hawks could look to strike a deal with the Orlando Magic. After trading away Vucevic, Gordon and Fournier at the trade deadline last season, the Magic are rebuilding and could welcome a trade for 24-year-old Collins.
The question though is what exactly could the Magic give up that the Atlanta Hawks would be interested in at the trade deadline?
Let’s take a look at a trade proposal put together by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes that sends John Collins to the Orlando Magic.
