The Atlanta Hawks Can Afford to be Patient With John Collins

Accessing the future between John Collins and the Atlanta Hawks.

One of the major storylines to follow this off-season is what the Atlanta Hawks will do (or not do) with John Collins. Collins will become eligible for a rookie extension in a few months, and while his on-court production would seemingly make him a lock for one, the two sides seem to be far from an agreement.

Perhaps because there is nothing else to talk about in the COVID-era, but Collins’ extension has been discussed more than your typical third-year player’s deal. This, combined with some lingering trade rumors have put some Hawks’ fans in a pay-him or trade-him mentality.

The Hawks shouldn’t have that mindset, however, and taking a patient approach would be best. Why would they sign him to a max contract (which Collins already stated he think he deserves) before they see how he fits next to Clint Capela?

Atlanta can and should be patient with Collins, riding this out until next summer when he’ll become a restricted free agent. The team can let his market create itself, and decide if they want to match or let him walk after seeing him play a full season with the updated roster. If the Collins-Capela frontcourt duo doesn’t’ work, it gives the Hawks flexibility on finding a potential trade for one of them.

As for the offer itself, I wrote on that a few months back already. I don’t think of Collins as a max player (as he is today), but he’s certainly close. I noted Indiana forward Domantas Sabonis‘ four-year, $77 million deal as the best comparison.

From Collins’ perspective, the ball would be in his court. The best way to show the team that he deserves the max money he wants would be to have a great fourth-year in Atlanta, potentially helping the team make the postseason.

Should the Atlanta Hawks extend John Collins this off-season?