John Collins Remains with Atlanta Hawks After Tumultuous Month
Atlanta Hawks power forward John Collins has been the subject of trade rumors since before the February 10 trade deadline. After the season, those rumblings hit a crescendo when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on live television that he expected Collins to be moved before the NBA Draft.
Despite it all, Collins is still on the Hawks roster.
As time progressed, Atlanta's front office carefully walked back from the precipice of trading the high-flying forward. Derrick White ended up with the Boston Celtics. Jerami Grant is going to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Minnesota Timberwolves overpaid for Rudy Gobert. The Dejounte Murray trade precluded the Hawks from the Kevin Durant sweepstakes. Then yesterday, the final domino fell when Deandre Ayton forced the Phoenix Suns into a rookie-scale max contract extension.
Either due to trepidation or tough negotiating, Atlanta's front office let each opportunity pass without trading their 2017 first round draft pick. Regardless of their reasoning, the organization made the right move by holding onto such a valuable part of their team.
John Collins and Trae Young during the 2021-22 NBA season.
© Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA content machine has tried to develop every narrative on why Collins is not a good fit in Atlanta - each and every time, it is debunked. One of the more laughable storylines is that Collins clashes with Trae Young. Not only did the two just hug it out in Las Vegas, but they are like peas and carrots on the court. Young dished out 141 assists to Collins last season, making them the 5th-highest combo in the NBA.
That level of chemistry isn't bad, considering Collins missed 22 games during the back half of the season due to pair of gruesome injuries. The blue-collar player rushed back for the Eastern Conference Playoffs to save the Hawks from further embarrassment at the hands of the Miami Heat.
Collins is only 24 years old but carries himself like a veteran. He has taken coaching changes, role reversals, and trade rumors in stride. Never once has Collins said anything other than he loves the City of Atlanta and wants to be a Hawk for life.
Hawks general manager Landry Fields is quick to point out Collins' level of professionalism. After the Murray trade, the Hawks consider themselves contenders or something close to that. Every team needs a low-maintenance, high-production player who doubles as a locker room leader. The Hawks have that in Collins, and it is why the majority of teams in the league remain interested in the ultimate glue-guy.
Like Kanye West said, "Every Jordan needs a Rodman." Just like every Kanye needs a Pusha T. Just like every Stephen Curry needs a Draymond Green. Atlanta's front office has scoured the league for a trade package for Collins, and the fact remains there is no doing better for what he provides the team.
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