Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
No player was in more NBA trade rumors than John Collins after the last few years. Now he’s finally on the move.
John Collins has been the most traded man in NBA rumors over the last three years without ever actually getting traded. The Atlanta Hawks held onto their young big man to try to maximize his trade value even when it became apparent he was no longer a core piece of the team. On Monday, the Hawks finally found a trade partner for Collins, and it ultimately feels like a salary dump.
The Hawks traded Collins to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gay and a future second round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Collins has three years, $78 million remaining on his deal, and joins a talented Utah front court that already includes Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and recent first round pick Taylor Hendricks.
This trade feels like a pure cost-cutting move for Atlanta. With star guard Dejounte Murray in need of a new contract after the upcoming season, the Hawks essentially gave away Collins for nothing. Gay has had a wonderful career, but he turns 37 years old in August and is an end-of-bench player at best at this point. Gay has a player option for just over $6 million for next season before his deal expires.
Atlanta clearly held onto Collins for too long. Collins looked like a steal when the Hawks selected him with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Wake Forest, but after a strong first three years of his career, both his role and production started to regress. Collins’ scoring average has dropped each of the last four seasons, and he’s slipped a bit as a three-point shooter and rebounder, too. The Jazz clearly believe they can rehab his value in return for nothing more than picking up his contract.
The move to acquire Collins is especially interesting for the Jazz given that they’re still at an early stage of their rebuild. Markkanen turned into an All-Star last season and plays the same position as Collins, but he’ll be difficult to extend because Utah can’t give him a big enough raise under the CBA rules. It’s possible the Jazz could flip Collins or even Markkanen down the road for more draft assets.
Are there more cost-cutting moves on the horizon for the Hawks? Both Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter were in trade rumors around the draft with younger, cheaper replacements waiting in the wings. The trade of Collins feels so similar to the Hawks letting go of Kevin Huerter ahead of last season before his breakout campaign with the Sacramento Kings.
