NBA Insider: Hawks Clearly Most Interested in Trading John Collins

The latest league buzz links the Hawks and Trail Blazers.

© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

With each new day, we have new trade rumors surrounding John Collins. The high-flying power forward agreed to a new 5-year, $125 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks in August 2021. However, that has not stopped Atlanta's front office from shopping him around.

A pair of injuries hampered Collins' 2021-22 season. So, the 24-year-old played just 54 games and averaged 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. But that has not scared other NBA teams from pursuing a potential trade for Collins.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report recently appeared on Nate Duncan's podcast Dunc'd on Basketball NBA Podcast. Fischer provided Duncan with the latest league gossip surrounding Collins, “There’s someone I talked to today who had just spoken to Atlanta in recent days who said John Collins is clearly the guy that they’re most interested in moving."

Fischer went into detail on the acrimonious contract negotiations between the Collins' agents and Atlanta's front office. "It seems like that marriage is bound to be coming to a close."

John Collins has been included in trade rumors for over two years / © Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

When asked which teams are interested in Collins, Fischer said, "He's definitely been mentioned as a Portland trade candidate."

The NBA insider continued, "Someone told me today that if Portland offered the 7th pick to Atlanta, they think they would do it straight up. And I think there's a way to make it work with the Eric Bledsoe contract and that $3.9 million guaranteed. That's a framework that's been talked to me about something to look out for. I don't know if it's been discussed, so I want to be clear."

Fischer reiterated that he believes Atlanta would be interested in a high first round draft pick, where they can select a player they believe in who is on a rookie-scale contract. The 2022 NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, so expect more updates with each passing day. Stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

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