Thunder Have the Goods to Grab Atlanta’s John Collins
The asking price for Atlanta’s John Collins has been revealed, and Oklahoma City might just be in the market.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, one team that reached out to Atlanta about Collins said the Hawks were seeking one valuable first round selection and a starting caliber player in exchange for the forward.
The Hawks reportedly have had conversations centered around Detroit’s Jerami Grant, and have broached the Spurs about Derrick White.
After a terrific playoff run last season, Atlanta stands at just 22-25 this year, disappointingly the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Collins isn’t necessarily the root of that, but he’s allegedly on the chopping block regardless.
Now in his fifth year in the league, and first of his lucrative new contract, Collins is averaging 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks while shooting 53 percent from the floor and a career-best 41 percent from three.
A constant lob-threat with the ability to extend beyond the arc, Collins would be a fairly significant weapon next to both Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
[Richard Mackson]
While Oklahoma City may be light in the starter department, they are unprecedentedly rich in the valuable draft pick market.
While it isn’t likely OKC gives up their own 2022 Draft selection for the likes of Collins, they have plenty of other options. With 18 first round picks, and OKC reportedly still on the hunt for more, it’s likely Atlanta would fancy one of them.
While maybe not exactly what Atlanta is looking for, OKC does has a good variety of expendable NBA starters as well. Any combination of Derrick Favors, Kenrich Williams and Lu Dort are more than likely all on the table for difference prices, and Mike Muscala is sure to be in that mix as well.
The most likely deal would be to pair Dort with superstar Trae Young, and tack on whatever Atlanta’s asking price for a pick that will land outside the top five selections.
Despite the fact OKC has both need and the resources to get Collins, general manager Sam Presti’s want of him is another thing entirely.
Presti has made clear that Oklahoma City won’t be cutting any corners in their current rebuild, and shipping off high-end selections to grab an above averaged stretch-four would be just that. Still, at 24-years-old, just one year older than Gilgeous-Alexander, it’s not often players like Collins are on the market.
But there’s something to be said for Atlanta’s record, which could indicate to Presti that Collins is less of a win-now player than it looked last season around playoff time.
At the end of the day, Presti is the only person who knows what he’s thinking.
The NBA’s trade deadline will conclude on Thursday, Feb. 10.
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