Atlanta Hawks: John Collins is likely to be overpaid in free agency

Atlanta Hawks competitor no. 1) Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are rebuilding their squad nicely. They drafted LaMelo Ball with the third pick in the 2020 NBA draft. The Hawks have seen firsthand just how good Ball is, and can certainly see how good he is going to be.

Ball is their point guard of the future and has the potential to be better than his older brother Lonzo. He has formed a good on-court relationship with the team superstar Gordon Hayward, who the Hornets signed to a long-term deal last offseason.

However, where the Hornets fall down is they do not have many guaranteed contracts. Outside of the aforementioned players, they only have Vernon Carey jr who is guaranteed beyond the 2021-22 season. In fact, the Hornets have five players coming out of contract next season.

The means that the Hornets have only $81 million worth of guaranteed contracts on their books this year. However, this could be their downfall. While the Hawks may have to squeeze Collins in with their offseason commitments which are Trae Young and Kevin Huerter‘s rookie extensions.

However, the difference between this season and last season is that the Hawks are winning. They have qualified for offseason action and their roster is such that barring major injuries to a number of key players, they will be one of the best teams in the league next season. Collins may have to decide between money and success.