“I don’t see John Collins being a Hawk past the trade deadline” - Trevor Lane surprised by the Atlanta Hawks’ low asking price for John Collins

In the 2021 NBA offseason, John Collins and the Atlanta Hawks reached an agreement for a five-year $125 million contract extension until 2026. He played at an elite level during the 2021 playoffs, helping the team reach the Eastern Conference finals, however in a surprising turn of events it looks as if he might be leaving the franchise soon.

However, there have been rumors about the Hawks looking to trade him before the end of the 2021-22 season. Although he has not made the leap many expected, he is still a class act and could be a significant contributor to any team he joins.

With the February 10 trade deadline drawing closer, the chatter around John Collins has intensified. On the latest episode of The NBA Front Office podcast with Trevor Lane and Keith Smith, it was revealed that the Hawks are willing to accept a first-round pick and a starter in exchange for Collins.

Both sports analysts gave their take on the proposed trade requirements, with Trevor believing teams will come rushing for Collins if that is indeed the asking price.

"If that's the asking price, and Collins, he's got a pretty lengthy contract and everything, but this is a talented player. It's not like he's overpaid, based on his production and what he's doing out there. If this is the price, I'd have to think that a lot of teams would be saying, 'I'd do that, here you go.' So, to me, if that's really the asking price, which sounds very very reasonable, I don't see John Collins being a Hawk past the trade deadline if this is really what the Hawks want."

Keith went on to point out that the reason for such a seemingly low valuation might be because they are trying to rectify their cap situation before the new season. The Hawks have several players whose extensions are due to kick in next season, including Trae Young, and it appears that Collins has been deemed expendable.

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John Collins is yet to make his first All-Star appearance

John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks attacks the basket against Karl-Anthony Towns #32, Malik Beasley #5, and Naz Reid #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves

The starters for the 2022 NBA All-Star game have been announced, with Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant emerging as the captain representing the Eastern Conference. Despite how good Collins is, there is little chance of him making the team ahead of the extremely talented big men in the East, which features the likes of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. As it turns out, he didn't even make the top-ten list of frontcourt players following fan voting.

Collins' athleticism remains one of his most eye-catching traits, but apart from that his game hasn't really developed the way many thought it would, as he goes through quiet spells from time to time. Perhaps his inconsistency is one of the reasons the Hawks do not believe he is a dependable option moving forward.

So far this season, he is averaging 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting a career-low 53.6% from the field. However, his three-point shooting this term has been solid for a player of his size as he is converting 41.4% on 3.2 attempts per game.