New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends John Collins and Mo Gueye to Lakers, Hawks Add More Shooting

One of the worst-kept secrets of the 2025 NBA offseason is that the Lakers are going to add a new starting center. There are no shortage of possibilities for who it could be, but it remains LA's biggest weakness heading into the 2025-26 campaign. However, their thin center rotation of Jaxson Hayes and Alex Len got exposed during both the regular season. Neither player could protect the rim or consistently offer much of an offenisve threat. Adding a more proven option is of vital importance if the Lakers want to be a more serious contender next season.

Fortunately for LA, there are a few teams who might be interested in parting with their big men for the right price. One such team is the Utah Jazz. There has been a ton of discussion about the Lakers possibly acquiring center Walker Kessler from Utah, who is an excellent shot-blocker and rebounder. However, it seems that recent conversations have focused on John Collins. Utah has made it known that they are trying to trade Collins and the Lakers have reportedly expressed interest.

The Lakers and Jazz have held trade discussions centered around John Collins, per @andyblarsen

(h/t @APH00PS ) pic.twitter.com/AeJYfu1OoM
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 18, 2025

If the Lakers and Jazz agree to a framework for a deal, it would make sense to include a third team because the Lakers are currently only $16.2 million below the second apron threshold. Therefore, it would make the most sense to bring in a third team to take on salaries. The Hawks could be that third team. Atlanta has a ton of financial flexibility this summer, which they can use to address their needs at interior defense, front court depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could also look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance.

Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework for a deal.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Dalton Knecht, 2026 1st round pick swap (via LAL)

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: John Collins, Mo Gueye, 2027 2nd round pick (via CLE, from ATL), 2031 2nd round pick (via ATL)

Utah Jazz Receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, 2031 1st-round pick (top-10 protected)

Why the Hawks would do this trade: Knect shot 37.6% from three-point range on 4.4 attempts per game as a rookie and showed signs of being an effective role player for the Lakers. He started off the season as one of LA's best reserves and even got a few starts because of how well he was shooting. The peak of his season came when he dropped 37 points against the Jazz and buried a staggering nine three-pointers. He also shot 74% at the rim, which was in the 90th percentile among all wings. He needs more time to develop as a defender and his instincts are lacking, but he can be a truly devestating shooter with time. Atlanta also gets a first-round pick swap in exchange for sending out Gueye, which means they have a chance to improve their 2026 first-rounder despite already swapping it with the Spurs.

Why the Hawks would not do this trade: The likelihood is that Knecht will be a one-dimensional player who won't be able to hold up on defense. That's a problem when considering how crowded the Hawks' wing rotation is and the state of the already-poor defense. Giving up on Gueye could also be a mistake considering the defensive flashes he's shown.

Why the Lakers would do this trade: While they are trading away one of the team's best shooters in Knecht, they are getting a power forward who can operate as a center and has viability as a shooter. Collins canned 39.9% of his three-point attempts on 3.7 attempts per game. He also shot an excellent 84.8% from the charity stripe, so there is some reason to believe he could keep those percentages up on higher volume. Collins did record a BLK% of 3.1%, which is good for a PF, but he doesn't have the same defensive viability at center. Still, this would allow the Lakers to keep DFS as an occasional starter or sixth man. Although he's not the biggest name in this deal, the bigger prize for LA might be Mo Gueye. Gueye is an interesting development project - he showed exciting defensive chops last season in Atlanta. He posted a BLK% of 3.3% (87th percentile) and a STL% of 2.3% (96th percentile). Gueye needs to cut down on fouls, but there's a chance he could develop into a nice backup big man who can slide in at either the 4 or 5 as a standout defender. Playing Collins and Gueye together could yield similar results to what the Jazz got out of the Kessler-Collins pairing last season with Doncic and James able to leverage both as lob threats.

Why the Lakers would not do this trade: There are already an abundance of players who can play PF for the Lakers (LeBron, DFS and Rui), so Collins isn't adding to a clear need on the roster. Furthermore, he's a bad defender at center and doesn't really solve their issues against large lineups. Knecht's potential as a shooter is also intriguing and the Lakers already don't have a ton of youth on their roster on cost-controlled deals. Even though they are getting Gueye in this deal, the upside of a 3&D wing on a cheap deal could be too enticing.

Why the Jazz would do this trade: A 2031 first-round pick, even if it is heavily protected, for moving on from Collins is a good price to get back for a player that the Jazz have been struggling to trade for a while now. Jarred Vanderbilt has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, but there's no denying that he's a great defender when he's on the court. The 6'8 wing is a great on-ball defender capable of switching and staying with a variety of different assignments. He's also a great rebounder, finishing in the 83rd percentile for offensive rebounding. If the Jazz want to field a more respectable defense, he can be a positive player for them. Furthermore, Vincent can be a solid perimeter defender and got back to shooting the ball at a somewhat respectable level in the regular season. He shot 35.3% on 4.3 attempts per game and there's a chance he could make himself a trade-deadline acquisition candidate if he puts up solid numbers with Utah. If it doesn't work out, his contract expires after this season.

Why the Jazz would not do this trade: Vanderbilt is under contract for the next three seasons and he has never shown the offensive ability to play big minutes. He's a career 28.8% shooter from deep and only hits 63.8% of his free throws for his career. If he struggles to fit in with Utah's system, it could be difficult to trade him.

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