Hawks held ‘significant’ talks with Pistons about trading starter
Atlanta Hawks big men bounced around in trade rumors
“The Hawks also re-engaged the Jazz about trading John Collins to Utah,” noted Fischer. “But no deals for Atlanta’s veterans ever materialized.”
Collins, 26, has been linked to half the league if not more after nearly three years of trade speculation and is heading into the third year of a five-year, $125 million contract. It is no longer his salary alone that has been suppressing his trade market but also that he is coming off his worst statistical season as a pro averaging 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds this past season.
His three-point efficiency also cratered to 29.2%, belying his gains on the defensive end.
An earlier report from Fischer noted that the Hawks appeared to be operating under a tiered system of valuing their players with Trae Young the lone player not on the table followed by a nearly-equally off-limits Dejounte Murray and then the rest of the team.
It would still seem that they are valuing all of their players highly, or at least highly enough to not risk coming out on the losing end of a lopsided deal such as trading for prospects can be.
The Hawks were also rumored to be in talks with the Dallas Mavericks on a deal for Clint Capela that would have landed them the No. 10 overall pick and, perhaps, a shot a Duke big man Dereck Lively II but Dallas pivoted to landing Richaun Holmes from the Sacramento Kings and landed Lively in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder who selected him with the No. 12 overall pick.
Atlanta landed Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin with the No. 15 overall pick.
Next. Player comparisons for Hawks’ rookie Kobe Bufkin. dark
He should slot in as the backup point guard and split minutes behind Murray with Bogdanovic and Griffin, though the latter may play there less with the rookie’s arrival.