The Atlanta Hawks have exactly one week to get a John Collins contract extension done before he becomes a restricted free agent at the deadline.
The Atlanta Hawks have a week to decide whether or not they’ll choose to extend John Collins. On Monday, December 21st at 6 pm, John Collins will officially become a restricted free agent.
When the Hawks made all of their offseason moves, Atlanta Hawks fans were left wondering what it meant for John Collins’ future in Atlanta. Additions like Danilo Gallinari and Onyeka Okongwu made it seem as if the Hawks were preparing for life after JC.
The Hawks still hope to get a deal done with John Collins, who is up for an extension, I'm told just now.
— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) November 21, 2020
Of course, he's got one more year left on his contract.
But significant given the Gallinari addition.
Collins has said he wants to stay in Atlanta.
With two preseason games under his belt this year, Collins looks ready to improve on the insane number he put up last year. Even after missing the first 25 games of the season last year, John Collins still averaged 21.6 points per game on ridiculous 58.3/40.1/80.0 shooting splits. He also added 10.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 0.8 steals every night to round out his stat line.
John Collins and Trae Young were both ranked in the top 8 at their respective positions by Bleacher Report earlier this year and Collins should be competing for his first All-Star appearance. The Atlanta Hawks will be looking to make a playoff push for the first time since adding the two young stars to the roster and Hawks fans would certainly love to see Collins be a part of this team for the foreseeable future. Collins will likely be looking for a max contract if he continues his superb play this year.
The Atlanta Hawks could match offers for John Collins in the summer
So what happens if the Atlanta Hawks don’t extend John Collins next week?
He’s already expressed that negotiations past the deadline aren’t exactly ideal for him and that he’d like to get a deal done sooner than later. He’s also stated that he’d love nothing more than to continue his career in Atlanta. But if the Hawks and Collins can’t reach an agreement by next week, he’ll become a restricted free agent.
The Atlanta Hawks would have the opportunity to match any offer he receives next summer. Hawks fans hold your breath.