Despite the fact that John Collins has constantly been dragged around as one of the likeliest players to be moved before the February trade deadline, the fact still remains that he's currently still a member of the Atlanta Hawks. This could all change, however, with the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly showing significant interest in acquiring the services of the 6-foot-9 power forward.
According to league insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Pelicans have emerged as a real contender for John Collins. There is a bit of a catch, though:
“New Orleans has been repeatedly mentioned as a suitor for Hawks forward John Collins, and the Pelicans have certainly registered their interest with Atlanta, sources told Yahoo Sports. The two teams would seem to be natural trade partners, with the Hawks eager to add defensive-minded players and the Pelicans looking to find greater offense and more shooting, although there has yet to be significant traction between the two teams, sources said,” wrote Fischer.
While there appears to be some real interest from both sides to get a deal done, it seems that neither team has acted in a considerably aggressive manner. Moreover, in spite of the endless rumors linking Collins to an Atlanta exit, the Hawks reportedly have “no mandate to trade” the 25-year-old at this point. They appear to be open to keeping Collins beyond the trade deadline if they don't get the offer that they like from an opposing team such as the Pelicans.
New Orleans, on the other hand, also seems to have other options on hand. The Pelicans want to bring in some help prior to the trade deadline and they have reportedly had “preliminary conversations” with other teams regarding a potential trade for Jaxson Hayes, Naji Marshall, and Devonte’ Graham. If any deal is going to happen with the Hawks involving Collins, we should expect some sort of combination involving these three players — and most likely draft capital as well — as part of the transaction.
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