With the Atlanta Hawks and John Collins seemingly at odds about his future, we take a look at the six best partners for trade.
It appears that the Atlanta Hawks and John Collins are likely to part ways at the end of the season after the two parties failed to come to terms for a rookie extension and now seem at odds with the direction of the franchise. This is unfortunate as Collins has been a huge part of the Hawks culture since he arrived in 2017.
Collins has developed into a really good player culminating in having averages of more than 20 points and 10 rebounds last season. He only just missed those numbers the season before. For his career, Collins has averaged 16.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.6 steals in 28.3 minutes per game.
He is also an incredibly efficient player, shooting 57.0 percent from the floor on 11.3 shots, 37.1 percent from deep on 2.1 attempts, and 76.0 percent from the line on 3.4 attempts. His ability to be a stretch-four is going to be highly valued on the trade market.
Atlanta Hawks will miss John Collins two-way play
Collins also has the ability to defend the rim with his athleticism. His 1.0 blocks per game don’t tell the entire story. Collins is also able to alter shots as players come into the paint. This season Collins is defending perimeter players as the Hawks have Clint Capela manning the middle.
This shows that Collins has the ability to defend multiple positions on the court which shows his tremendous versatility. He may struggle to defend the point, but he can be forgiven that given how he is also active on the boards especially at the defensive end.
Atlanta Hawks potential trade partner No. 1) OKC Thunder
Any team who is looking to make a trade this season needs to at least place a call to the OKC Thunder. They own a plethora of first and second-round draft picks and has some good young talent on their roster.
They are looking for a player to add to their stable of young players after they conducted a fire sale in an effort to rebuild their roster in the shortest time possible. Collins could help their team and if the Hawks play their cards right they could get a solid piece back along with some draft capital.
Atlanta Hawks potential trade partner No. 2) New Orleans Pelicans
The other team who own a huge amount of draft picks for the foreseeable future are the New Orleans Pelicans. They have a quality young team and are looking out for players who can help space the floor.
They are also looking for players who can take over in the frontcourt when superstar Zion Williamson sits down. Adding Collins means that they have the ability to have a huge lineup with Steven Adams, Williamson, Collins Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball as their starters.
Atlanta Hawks potential trade partner No. 3) Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors lost their starting big men during the offseason. Serge Ibaka signed with the LA Clippers and Marc Gasol signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. This was a huge loss from the champions from the 2018-19 season. These two players anchored their defense and their loss has been obvious this season with the Raptors only recording two wins to date.
Their replacement big men, Aron Baynes and Alex Len are not doing the same job and the Raptors could be looking for a new franchise star to pair alongside Pascal Siakam for long-term success, given that Kyle Lowry is 34 years old. This trade may need to wait until all the newly signed players trade protections expire
Atlanta Hawks potential trade partner No. 4) Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are currently down a big man with Thomas Bryant going down with an ACL injury and will miss the rest of the season. Collins would have a tremendous opportunity to step in and provide a good option at either end of the court.
With the Wizards looking to get their season back on track it could be possible for the Hawks to take great advantage of this situation. They may be able to prise a really talented player from the Wizards fold.
Atlanta Hawks potential trade partner No. 5) Sacramento Kings
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The situation in Sacramento has not been better in ages. They have been playing good basketball and are only one game out of the eighth seed in the tight Western conference playoff race. However, there have been rumblings out of the Golden 1 Center.
During a game, Marvin Bagley III’s father tweeted out that the team needed to trade his son. While this has caused some issues, why not trade with the Kings. If you include the right pieces going out the Hawks could get some tremendous ancillary pieces coming back in along with Bagley which will lift the franchise.
Atlanta Hawks potential trade partner No. 6) Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves always seem to be active on the trade market. Last season they got their point guard D’Angelo Russell by sending out former No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins. They then got the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, Anthony Edwards, and are still on the bottom of the standings in the West.
Why not test the waters and see if they will be willing to part with Karl-Anthony Towns, another former No. 1 pick. While it may cost the Hawks a bit to get him, Towns would be a great floor spacer and can help make the Hawks the best team on the glass in the entire league.