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The Atlanta Hawks secured power forward John Collins a five-year, $125 million deal with a player option back in August 2021.
Collins was drafted 19th overall by the Hawks in the 2017 NBA draft after playing two seasons at Wake Forest University. The August 2021 contract made Collins one of the highest-paid power forwards in the league.
According to Spotrac, Collins is set to earn $25,000,000 for the 2022-2023 season, which will improve every season and become $31,000,000 for the 2026-2027 season. The contract also includes a dead cap value of $23,500,000, which means that if Collins were to be traded or released before the end of the contract, the Hawks would still be on the hook for $23,500,000 of his salary.
Collins is known for his scoring ability, especially his finishing at the rim, and for his solid rebounding. He is also a capable three-point shooter, with a career average of 38% from beyond the arc. The forward's game has continued to evolve and he has shown improvement in his passing and ball handling as well.
John Collins to finally get traded from Atlanta Hawks?
In his first three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, John made a significant impact on the team.
In his rookie season, he averaged 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, earning him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He continued to improve in his second and third seasons, increasing his scoring and rebounding averages to 19.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, and 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, respectively.
According to recent reports, the Hawks are seeking a trade package for John that is similar to the one the Utah Jazz received for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. This might prove difficult as the player might have obvious talent, but has not yet completely lived up to it.
One area of improvement for the forward is his consistency on the defensive end. While he has shown flashes of being a strong defender, he still has moments where he struggles to stay engaged and make an impact. However, the Hawks coaching staff has praised John for his willingness to learn and improve, and it's likely that he will continue to develop as a defender in the coming seasons. Regardless, while a trade currently seems possible, the Atlanta Hawks have every reason to hold off for a big package.
Guess the Lakers players!
