Hawks GM: "We Are Excited About John Collins"

After weeks of wild trade rumors, the Atlanta Hawks decided to keep John Collins on the team - for now, at least. Yesterday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that it was "very likely" Collins would be traded before the end of the 2022 NBA Draft.

Most Hawks fans are cool to the idea of trading their former first round draft pick, who has blossomed into a fringe All-Star candidate. However, reports from multiple outlets indicating a trade for San Antonio Spurs' combo guard Dejounte Murray was being negotiated quickly piqued fans' interest.

Here is Landry Fields' response to @ChrisKirschner asking about John Collins rumors tonight: pic.twitter.com/c2mNsHM9Zu
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) June 24, 2022

The Spurs wanted a "Jrue Holiday-like package," which meant players plus at least three first round draft picks. As you can see in the video tweeted above, Hawks assistant general manager Landry Fields was asked how the organization viewed Collins after last night.

Fields responded, "Yeah, I mean, we have him under contract for a long time. He's been a great player for us. He's done great things for us. So, we're excited about John Collins, you know. Like right now, as I'm sure everyone has alluded to, you take phone calls, you make phone calls; it's just part of our job. We've been mandated to get better, and we want to get better."

You would think Hawks fans would grow numb to trade rumors involving Collins. For the better part of two years, the high-flying forward has been shopped around the league. Atlanta's front office let him restricted free agency last summer only to sign him to a new five-year, $125 million contract.

Just because no deal was struck last night doesn't mean that Collins' future with the Hawks is safe. Free agency starts in one week, and the Hawks will assuredly resume trade talks in hopes of upgrading their roster after an underwhelming season.

As for Collins, the 24-year-old still has a lot to offer. He battled injuries last season but still averaged 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds in 54 games. You can read his season report card here. Stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

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