Although nothing ever materializes, the Atlanta Hawks seem determined to trade John Collins year after year. This season was no different, with rumors linking the forward to multiple destinations ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
However, with Collins under contract through the 2025-26 season, it would be wise to take the Hawks apparent desire to move the six-year veteran seriously.
The Utah Jazz were the team most heavily linked to Collins but they made a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Phoenix Suns opted to acquire Kevin Durant over Collins. That Houston Rockets were another team that was linked to JC, but they ended up making cost-cutting acquisitions instead.
Nonetheless, the final details of the trade packages Atlanta discussed as they attempted to replace him with veteran forward Jae Crowder have been revealed, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
In one deal, the Hawks would have sent Collins to the Rockets, with Eric Gordon and KJ Martin landing with the Phoenix Suns, and Crowder heading to Atlanta with Landry Shamet.
In the other deal, the Hawks would have sent Collins to the Jazz, with Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley being traded to the Suns, and Crowder and Shamet being traded to Atlanta.
With the Jazz opting to complete a 3-team trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves that netted them a top-4 protected 2027 first-round pick, Crowder was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks the next day. On Feb. 9, the same day that Utah completed their trade, Houston shipped Eric Gordon off to the Los Angeles Clippers in a 3-team trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Scotto adds that an additional factor in the failure of the trade to materialize was a disagreement in the draft pick compensation that the Hawks would have received.
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