5 Atlanta Hawks who may not return come next season

1. John Collins

No member of the Atlanta Hawks has hit the rumor mill as frequently as John Collins. Once appearing to be a rising star, Collins has fizzled as of late largely due to a “boutonniere deformity” to his right ring finger that has led to an understandable regression in just about every aspect of his game.

Since he suffered the injury on March 7, Collins has averaged just 12.9 points and 6.4 rebounds. Perhaps even worse, he is shooting just 28.2% from three. What was once a strength in his game that opened the floor for Atlanta’s offense has since been snatched away, making Collins and Capela a difficult offensive pairing outside of the lob game with Trae Young.

The Hawks could continue to help nurse Collins through his injury, but what was supposed to be a relatively quick healing process has lingered on and on for over a year now. Recently, he has mentioned that the swelling has gone down, and that allowed him to feel more comfortable, supposedly, but he still finished Tuesday’s game with just 10 points and four rebounds.

It may take some convincing and perhaps a sweetener (or five), but Collins will almost certainly be on the market once again this summer.