Hawks, Suns Negotiating John Collins Trade
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Stop us if you have heard this before, but John Collins is involved in trade rumors. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Atlanta Hawks have opened up preliminary trade discussions centered around Collins.
One of the teams showing interest in the power forward is the Phoenix Suns. However, Phoenix is not keen on acquiring Collins' long-term contract. The power forward is in the second season of a five-year, $125 million contract.
Charania noted that Atlanta does not have an imminent deal in place involving Collins, and league executives believe a potential deal will be "weeks and potentially months in the making" ahead of the trade deadline (February 9, 2023).
John Collins celebrates after a dunk.
Whether anything comes of the preliminary trade talks with the Suns remains to be seen. However, Hawks fans have grown weary of the never-ending trade drama surrounding Collins.
Despite trade talks reaching a fever pitch this summer, Collins remained on the team that drafted him in 2017. The Hawks have seemingly tried to smooth over any hard feelings with Collins in recent months. They celebrated his birthday at 2022 NBA Media Day and named him one of three team captains in October.
Atlanta is currently 9-6 and in third place in the Eastern Conference Standings. However, the team's offense has been a mess this season. After finishing last year with the second-best offensive rating, they have plummeted to 19th in the NBA.
Floor spacing has been the main issue. Atlanta is last in three-point attempts and makes through 15 games. After a hot start, Collins finds himself in a prolonged shooting slump. The 25-year-old is averaging 12.6 points per game on a 49.3% field goal percentage.
It is clear that Atlanta's front office wants to inject some offense into the starting lineup, and Collins is the most likely candidate to be traded. Hawks fans can buckle up for several more weeks and months of trade rumors involving Collins.
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