The Atlanta Hawks are off to a strong strong start this season as they are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 9-6 record. The blockbuster NBA offseason trade to acquire Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs is paying off handsomely as well as Murray has been a great backcourt pairing for Trae Young and is putting up All-Star numbers once again.
Despite the strong start, Atlanta isn’t resting on their laurels. They are actively looking to continue upgrading the roster so that they can remain among the elite in the Eastern Conference.
Because of that, it should be no surprise that the Hawks are one of the teams interested in veteran forward Jae Crowder of the Phoenix Suns. One of the players that have been discussed as a potential trade piece from Atlanta is John Collins.
Collins has seemingly been on the trade block for years as there have been rumors about him moving on since 2020 when he was eligible for a rookie extension. No deal was agreed upon before the deadline and he was a restricted free agent in 2021.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins, Atlanta Hawks & Phoenix Suns Updates
The Wake Forest product ended up re-signing with the Hawks on a five-year, $125 million deal. That contract is as big of a reason as any as to why trade talks centered around Collins will take some time to get done according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“The Hawks have opened up preliminary trade discussions around forward John Collins, as interested teams inquire, league sources tell The Athletic. The Suns are a team showing desire in Collins, those sources have added, but they appear uninclined to take on the long-term money of Collins, who is in the second season of a five-year, $125 million contract. The Hawks don’t have an imminent deal in place involving Collins, those sources say, and executives around the league believe a potential deal will be weeks and potentially months in the making ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins, Atlanta Hawks & Phoenix Suns Updates
Collins has seen his shots per game decrease for the third consecutive season as he is getting lost in the numbers game in Atlanta. The addition of Murray has phased him out of the offense even more as a change of scenery would do wonders for him.
His game has improved steadily during his time in the NBA as Collins is a capable 3-point shooter, strong rebounder and improving defender, providing some shot-blocking. On offense, he is the fourth option with the Hawks, but he has the skills to handle more chances should they be presented to him.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins, Atlanta Hawks & Phoenix Suns Updates
Collins is definitely a player to keep an eye on as trade talks pick up around the league. He could be a difference-maker for a lot of franchises as he is still multiple seasons away from hitting his prime.
