NBA Drafts: John Collins Traded to Jazz From Hawks
NBA Drafts: John Collins Traded to Jazz From Hawks, read more …
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Atlanta Hawks have traded John Collins to the Utah Jazz. The transaction is in the works, as reported by Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
The Hawks will receive Rudy Gay and a second-round selection in return. Collins, now 25, has been an important piece for the Hawks ever since they picked him in 2017.
The value may seem minimal, but the trade will free the Hawks from their $78 million obligation to Collins over the next three years. Reportedly, it will also provide them with the NBA’s greatest trade exception of $25.3 million.
If the Hawks don’t utilize their trade exception to bring in another player, they’ll be able to keep their salary cap far below the $182.5 million second apron and the $165 million luxury tax threshold for next season thanks to this deal.
The current overall cap for the team is estimated by Spotrac to be about $159.5 million. As part of the deal, Gay reportedly will activate his $6.5 million player option, which he will not be able to do until July 6.
I don’t understand why John Collins was waived by the Hawks. Collins has been the subject of intense trade rumors over the past three years, ever when he signed a controversial five-year, $125 million agreement.
Collins, at his best, is a versatile player capable of opening up the floor, penetrating the paint, and holding his own defensively. Since the Hawks became playoff contenders, he has seen a decline in his statistics.
Collins last season had his lowest scoring average (13.1 ppg) since his freshman year, along with career lows in 3-point percentage (29.2%), rebounds per game (6.5 rpg), and assists per game (1.2 apg) while logging his typical 30 mpg.
The Hawks, led by Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, need guys who can contribute off the ball, so that won’t do. Even with the costly signing of Murray, Atlanta was unable to improve on their 41-41 record from the previous season, finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference.
The Boston Celtics knocked them out of the playoffs in the first round. The Jazz are probably hoping Collins can have a renaissance in a new setting, much as Lauri Markkenen did in his first year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he went from being a bench player to being named to the All-Star team.
