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Examining the Atlanta Hawks free agency transactions

By Daniel Hughes

Apr 18, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) (left) reacts with forward John Collins (20) before the game against the Indiana Pacers at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) (left) reacts with forward John Collins (20) before the game against the Indiana Pacers at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Atlanta Hawks offseason big man moves

The most divisive dilemma of free agency surrounded John Collins. The star power forward was made a restricted free agent, but his camp was holding out for a max contract. While the Hawks were keen to have the “Senior Chief Executive Vibes Officer” back among their ranks, the hope was that they could structure a deal both sides would be happy.

The deal needed to satisfy Collins’ desire for near max-money and would also allow the front office a bit of the salary cap still available to continue to strengthen in future years. Thankfully, on Wednesday, August 4 it was announced Collins had signed a five-year, $125 million contract, ensuring his commitment to the franchise to the foreseeable future.

This was a great move by Travis Schlenk as Collins is easily one of the best at his position in the league and still has a lot of upside as his young career progresses. It would be very difficult to find a replacement who could offer as much on and off the court as Collins does for the Hawks.

Alongside this, the Hawks re-signed their insurance policy from last season Solomon Hill and brought in Gorgui Dieng to one-year contracts, ensuring depth, toughness, and shooting in their frontcourt.