Atlanta Hawks Receive: F Jerami Grant
Detroit Pistons Receive: F John Collins
This deal is decidedly simpler. No third teams, no draft picks: just a good old-fashioned player-for-player swap.
The Hawks consider this deal primarily for the years remaining on Grant’s contract. There’s only one. They’ll take a season to see if he’s a better fit than Collins alongside Trae Young.
If he is, they’ll re-up him next summer. If he isn’t, they’ve shed the three years remaining on Collins’ deal. He’s been in trade rumors for long enough by now. We have to assume the Hawks are feeling buyer’s remorse.
One team’s overpay is another team’s second star. The Detroit Pistons nab a 23-year-old who has already garnered All-Star consideration in Collins. He’s a perfect target for Cade Cunningham as a big who can both roll and pop effectively out of pick-and-roll sets.
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The Hawks may demand draft capital in this exchange. If that’s the case, the Pistons should entertain it. Their own lottery pick in 2022 should be too high a price, but maybe a protected future first-rounder is expendable.
Pairing Collins with Cunningham could make for an explosive offense. The fact that he’s on a similar developmental timeline as the rest of the team is a substantial bonus.
