Ranking 7 Hawks from least to most likely to be traded to shed salary
By Tyler Watts
1. John Collins
Collins just finished his sixth NBA season and it feels like he has been mentioned in trade rumors for five of those years. That may be a slight exaggeration, but the talks never stop surrounding the 6’9 forward. He had his worst statistical season since his rookie year and is owed $51.9 million over the next two years with a $26.5 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
Can the Hawks dump his contract and reset their books slightly? There have been more rumors, but no trade has materialized yet. Will it? Who knows at this point? Collins likely has a negative-value contract, so he would have to be traded for another bad deal or the Hawks must add additional compensation to move him.
The 25-year-old has plenty of skills and could blossom in a new environment. The Hawks cannot afford to pay him, especially if they plan on keeping Dejounte Murray and Saddiq Bey long-term. Atlanta should be searching hard for a new home for Collins, but finding one will not be easy after a down season.
Will the Atlanta Hawks look to shed salary this offseason or wait until next summer? Expect them to be active and aggressive in upgrading their roster, and fans must stay tuned to see how it all shakes out.
