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Explosive power forward John Collins had an opportunity to commit his future to Atlanta Hawks but he decided not to. The 19th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft didn't sign a rookie extension and is now set to enter restricted free agency in 2021.
As reported by Brian Windhorst on The Hoop Collective podcast, the Atlanta Hawks tabled a huge offer for John Collins but he turned it down. Windhorst said the following:
"John Collins, from what I understand, was offered a strong contract by the the Hawks. I heard he was offered an excess of $90 million. Now who knows what the guarantees were and all that stuff...but John Collins was seeking something at or near the max and he stuck to his guns."
Monday, December 21st was the last day for eligible players to sign a rookie scale extension. Many deals were struck that day but John Collins was a notable omission. Collins averaged 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2019-20 season and a new contract agreement seemed imperative.
Collins though has maintained throughout this year that he wants a max deal. Considering the numbers suggested by Windhorst, the offer he received was likely for four years.
It must be added that the Atlanta Hawks probably did not have the cap space to get a max deal done with John Collins. They splashed the cash on various free agents this offseason including Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rajon Rondo, and Danilo Gallinari.
NBA Rumors: Does John Collins have a future with the Atlanta Hawks?
John Collins was arguably the Atlanta Hawks' second-best player last season after Trae Young. But there are a few shortcomings you need to consider. Firstly, his defense needs a lot of work. Secondly, he was banned for 25 games in 2019-20 after testing positive for a banned substance under the NBA's drug policy.
Collins is fairly dispensable for Atlanta right now. They've already traded for Clint Capela, signed Danilo Gallinari to a lengthy contract, and drafted Onyeka Okongwu. Collins had 14 points in 18 minutes in the Hawks' season opener against Chicago Bulls but needs much better numbers this campaign if he wants that max deal.
