Depending on how you feel about the situation, this is either good or bad news. According to Woj, the Hawks haven’t been able to find a suitor for John Collins as we approach the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline:
Not a new update but Woj reported within the hours that the Hawks are “struggling” to find a deal for John Collins.
ATL doesn’t want to trade him for what they perceive to be a loss, but it does sound like they’ll keep trying all the way up until the 3 PM ET deadline tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/JtGcraEqvC
— Wes (@bloghawk) February 8, 2023
With John Collins’ contract, this isn’t a surprise. He’s playing at a decent level but not up to the money he has been guaranteed. Teams buying would have to match some salary, and of course, the Hawks want a decent return. I don’t think the Hawks are foolish enough to straight up salary dump Collins, but it seems they aren’t even able to do that at the moment.
When you consider that buyers would be giving up valuable pieces in return for Collins, those pieces will probably have to be on large contracts, and they’re probably part of their current rotation. If Collins wasn’t on a such a lucrative deal, this probably got done weeks ago. Regardless, it looks like the Hawks are better off keeping JC, and even if they aren’t, they may not have a choice.
It might be the best approach to just reassess everything after the season, including player and coach statuses. It’s never wise to sell low, and John Collins’ value has never been lower. We’ve seen him in a role where he’s one of the most efficient power forwards in the league; additionally, Collins is only entering his prime. It might be wise to at least let him build up his trade value again after it plummeted this year.
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Photographer: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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