For the second year in a row, it is rumored that John Collins, the Hawks’ 23-year-old striker, will be available despite his huge numbers … and that Atlanta is fighting for a playoff spot.
Then Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote on Friday: “However, sources say the Hawks have shown a willingness to listen to Collins’ offers (this should not surprise anyone).”
A big reason is, as Amick wrote, that Collins owes an extension this summer and is said to have already declined a $ 90 million offer from Hawks’ owners. So, if they are not willing to pay it and prefer to get something for it instead of losing it for free, why not listen to offers?
And Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson tweeted that two contestants are among those who called the Hawks. He did not name the teams, but it should be noted, as we did a year ago last week, that the Nets were interested in Collins.
At that time, Chris Kirschner, also of The Athletic, wrote that the Nets expressed interest in John Collins … and that “Spencer Dinwiddie was ‘mentioned’ in conversations that Kirschner admitted he may not have been so ‘forward'”.
There are, as Kirschner wrote then and Amick now writes, big questions for the Hawks, starting with how Collins represents a big part of the Hawks’ present, if not their future.
As Peachtree Hoops, our sister site, noted on Friday in an article entitled: “The John Collins situation is not something the Hawks can afford to screw up”, just as Collins has been stellar.
Collins is winning over 40% of his trios in his last 65 games (last season + this season), and averages 20.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in that period. His percentage of accurate shots in that range is 65.5%, and he has made great strides as a defender. No one knows this better than the Hawks, as there seems to be a narrative in national circles that Collins is still a negative on the defensive end. This is simply not the case, and it hasn’t been for some time.
This season, playing alongside Clint Chapel, Collins has contributed positively to both sides. Capela and Collins are in second place in defensive classification at the Eastern Conference between teams of two players who played at least 350 minutes together, something Kevin Chouinard wrote in January. To further illustrate the point, Collins and De’Andre Hunter are ranked as the fourth best two-man team in this area, while Collins and Trae Young are in fifth (yes, you read that correctly).
So, why not spend it? Well, Atlanta is not a team with a mega-wealthy owner and they have other, even younger guys they like. And they will have to pay Trae Yong a ton of money.
Which brings us to Brooklyn Nets. Let’s assume that last year’s story was correct and that this year, they are still interested. It would be a very Sean Marks move. Marks is not sentimental, as he proved to favor Kyrie Irving over D’Angelo Russell, by switching four players, including fan favorites, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, to acquire James Harden … and evict (or as you wish) call him) Kenny Atkinson. Marks sees a problem and tries to solve it.
How would such trade work? Well, as with last year’s rumor, a play would almost have to be Spencer Dinwiddie, everyone’s favorite commercial play. He has a player option in the summer and currently earns $ 12.3 million. A few weeks ago, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that “there are teams that are interested in negotiating for him. having your bird rights, being able to potentially sign it in the long run. “
Collins earns almost exactly a third of what Dinwiddie earns, with $ 4.1 million. The Hawks may want the Nets to take on another contract while demanding a young player. The Nets have NO first round to trade. They all went south, to Houston. What they have are two great young men, Reggie Perry, 20, and Nic Claxton, 21, both with connections to Georgia. Perry grew up there, Claxton players, college ball there. Both are in very cheap deals.
So, is there the big question? Would the Nets be willing to pay what Collins wants if they acquire it? Brooklyn would have its Bird Rights so they could hire him out of the salary cap, but Joe Tsai would have to agree to pay huge and, ultimately, historic luxury taxes.
The Nets are currently studying the possibility of maximum extensions for the Big Three: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Yossi Gozlan, in a Hoopshype Podcast with Mike Scotto, we defined how the maximum extensions would look … including what maximum numbers it would be in 2025-26, when they would be between 33 and 37 years old.
Toughen up: four years, $ 161.1 million
2026: $ 57.7 million
Durant: four years, $ 197.7 million
2026: $ 54.7 million
Irving: four years, $ 181.6 million
2026: $ 50.5 million
There are three $ 50 million players on the same team in 2026, when Collins may also be under contract. You’re talking about nine-digit luxury tax payments every year for a long time. Tsai has shown that he is willing to pay, not just with Nets, but with Liberty, but it is too much to ask any owner, even one whose net worth has increased by $ 4 billion since he bought the Nets.
Would Collins fit? A 6’9 ”striker who can shoot and hit? Of course, and in the long run, Collins can be a piece in what Marks hopes will be a sustainable Nets future. We don’t know whether the Hawks would agree to negotiate a key piece, whether the Nets are interested, whether they would trade assets, whether Tsai would be willing to pay the bill and, of course, whether another team would come and take Collins. But we would be surprised if we don’t hear more about Collins and Brooklyn. Watch this space.