The Atlanta Hawks haven't had a great start to the 2022-23 season, as they have dealt with some turbulence in their locker room, and are currently sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 25-24 record. After pulling off a blockbuster deal for Dejounte Murray over the offseason, this certainly isn't what many folks were expecting from Atlanta this season.
The Hawks have a lot of talent on their roster, but they simply haven't been able to translate that talent into wins on a nightly basis. There's still time to fix their issues, but things certainly aren't looking as good as they were over the offseason for Atlanta right now, and it's clear some changes need to be made.
Luckily for the Hawks, the trade deadline is right around the corner, which would present the perfect opportunity for them to make some deals to better their team. Of course, there are several things they could do to make their team better, but there's one nightmare scenario that looms large for Atlanta right now that could hurt them quite badly, so let's see what that scenario is and why the Hawks have to avoid it at the deadline.
Hawks nightmare scenario for trade deadline
Unsurprisingly, the Hawks have been involved in trade rumors pretty frequently to start this season. That's typically what happens when you don't meet expectations to start the season, but Atlanta had some pretty high expectations after their big move for Murray, so these rumors have been floating around them all season long.
And once again, that has led to John Collins' name popping up in trade rumors. Collins almost always seems to find a way to be involved in trade rumors, and not even his five-year, $125 million contract extension he signed in just August of 2021 has kept his name off the rumor mill. Collins has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate for Atlanta all season long, and it seems like only a matter of time until he actually gets traded.
So far, Collins hasn't been able to find a consistent role in Atlanta's offense alongside Murray and Trae Young. Both guys are very ball-dominant players, and that has resulted in Collins seeing less of the ball on offense this season. It's something that hasn't exactly worked out for his game to say the least.
Collins per game numbers are way down this season (13.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 51.1 FG%, 26.1 3P%) which is a big reason why his name is on the trade market in the first place. Collins is basically being used as a floor-spacing shooter, which isn't what his playstyle is. Collins benefits from getting some big finishes at the rim to create space for himself at the perimeter, but he hasn't really had the ability to do that this season.
Truth be told, Collins' fit with the Hawks has always been iffy at best, and with Murray onboard now, it just doesn't feel like there's a spot for him on this team. With all these rumors swirling, it makes a lot of sense to try to find someone that will take on Collins' contract, while also potentially getting a decent piece in return for him as well.
The nightmare scenario for the Hawks would involve them not moving on from Collins at the deadline. Collins has proven he isn't a fit in their offense currently, and given the team's commitment for Young and Murray in the backcourt, that isn't going to change anytime soon. Holding onto Collins and his now wildly overpriced contract isn't going to make Atlanta any better this season.
There are options aside from Collins on the trade market that would be much better fits that the Hawks could pursue as well. We outlined how the Hawks dream scenario would see them land Kyle Kuzma on the Washington Wizards in exchange for Collins, and that would seemingly be a deal that would benefit both sides given that Washington hasn't been shy in showing they are interested in Collins.
Either way, based on his production so far this season, there's really no reason for Collins to be on the Hawks past the trade deadline at this point. He hasn't been an effective player this season, and moving him while interest is still somewhat high in him would be better than desperately trying to move him next season when he could potentially still be struggling, resulting in there being no interest in him.
Whichever way you want to slice it, now is the time to move on from Collins if you are the Hawks. He's not a fit with their current roster, and his value will only continue to plummet if his struggles persist. It's not ideal, but the Hawks aren't winning, and big changes could be needed to save them this season. Trading Collins is that big change, and holding onto him would result in a nightmare scenario for Atlanta moving forward.
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