The Atlanta Hawks’ front office is going to look a lot different. Travis Schlenk, who has been the general manager and President of Basketball Operations for the last six NBA seasons, is moving into a senior advisory role with the team. Landry Fields, who is the current general manager, will now be overseeing the basketball operations.
This is a shocking move as Schlenk is responsible for helping turn the Hawks around in recent seasons. He has done a good job upgrading the talent on the roster and turning Atlanta into a respectable team on the court once again, highlighted by the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
As shared by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Schlenk has multiple years remaining on his contract, so he will be working with owner Tony Ressler. Fields will be taking on more responsibility and his first order of business will be looking to trade John Collins.
Collins has been on the trade block seemingly for years as the Hawks have been discussing him in trades since 2020 when the two sides could not agree to a rookie extension. He became a restricted free agent and the Hawks signed him to a monster five-year, $125 million contract.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins & Atlanta Hawks Updates
Now in Year 2 of that deal, Atlanta is looking to get out from under it. Collins has seen his usage drop again this season, along with his 3-point shooting efficiency. He is making a career-low 21.3 percent of his attempts, as he is struggling to get into a rhythm as the fourth and sometimes a fifth option.
Despite his shortcomings, Collins is still only 25 years old. He has shown massive potential, averaging 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during the 2019-20 season.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins & Atlanta Hawks Updates
A change of scenery would do him well, as a more consistent role in the offense should lead to better efficiency as well. It has grown to be a situation where it feels as though that change is overdue for both parties involved in the matter.
