Major Trade Idea Between LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks

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If the LA Clippers are able to re-sign Russell Westbrook, they would enter next season with four returning starters in Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac. While Marcus Morris and Nicolas Batum are also under contract for next season, neither player ended the year with a firm grip on the starting power forward position, which could lead the team to explore an upgrade in that spot.
In a recent article from Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, a hypothetical trade idea between the Clippers and Atlanta Hawks was proposed, which would send John Collins to the Clippers in exchange for Marcus Morris and Terance Mann.
For the Clippers, this would give them a starting power forward, but it would come at the expense of Mann, who has been an invaluable piece for them in so many different roles. For Atlanta, they would be getting off the $78.5M that Collins is owed over the next three seasons, while bringing back a versatile guard in Mann, who is only owed $22M over the next two seasons.
The expiring contract of Morris would be what makes this deal work financially, as he would likely not be in the future plans for Atlanta. There are a lot of people who expect the Hawks to make major changes this summer, which is one of the reasons Collins' name is regularly brought up in these hypothetical trades.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.
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