It seems like it is a matter of time before the Atlanta Hawks make another trade. There has been some building tension between head coach Nate McMillan and his NBA All-Star point guard, Trae Young, that has seeped into the performance of the rest of the team.
After jumping out to a 7-3 start this season, Atlanta has struggled to find success consistently. They have had two three-game losing streaks since then and an eight-game stretch alternating wins and losses.
In addition to the issues brewing between McMillan and Young, the Hawks are dealing with many injuries. De’Andre Hunter and John Collins are both dealing with injuries, and creating a roster around Young have its challenges when everyone is healthy and available to play.
Collins is one player to keep an eye on when it comes to trade rumors involving the Hawks. He has seemingly been on the trading block for years and is someone that Atlanta is receiving some interest in according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“Meanwhile, the Hawks have had several teams in the Collins market, such as Utah, Washington, Brooklyn, and Dallas, sources said. Atlanta has not shown interest so far in a potential framework that would contain Brooklyn’s Joe Harris, those sources said. Phoenix has a desire for Collins but does not appear inclined to take on the forward, who is in the second season of a five-year, $125 million pact.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz & Washington Wizards Updates
The contract that Collins has will certainly be a hurdle to overcome. That is a lot of money for a team to take on, and matching salaries could be challenging, especially if it costs multiple rotation pieces to get a deal done.
The Wake Forest product is also in the midst of the worst season of his career. His 3-point shooting has fallen off a cliff and his skill set isn’t one that many teams are paying big money to as he has some deficiencies as a defender in addition to his efficiency waning.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz & Washington Wizards Updates
However, Collins is only 25 years old. He certainly has some time to get things back on track, especially playing for a team that would provide him more opportunities with the ball in his hands. It wasn’t too long ago that Collins averaged 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as a go-to player for the Hawks.
