Nets' outlook on potential Ben Simmons-John Collins trade

The Nets could be in the market for a John Collins trade, but not if the Hawks demand a guy like Ben Simmons.

The Brooklyn Nets have emerged as a potential destination for Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins, who himself has been perpetually linked to endless trade rumors. The whispers are only going to get louder for Collins in the coming weeks as we approach the February trade deadline, and it now seems that he could find himself wearing a Nets uniform in the near future.

This is only going to happen, however, if the Hawks lower their asking price for Collins — at least according to an anonymous Eastern Conference executive. At the moment, the Hawks reportedly want a major haul in return for the 25-year-old, which does not seem commensurate to his current market value:

“What you are seeing with Collins now is that the Hawks want him to be treated like an All-Star, they want a big-time return for Collins—not quite like the Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell trades, but something in that neighborhood,” the source told heavy.com. “And everyone else looks at him like he’s a guy who is owed $100 million over the next four years and is having the worst year of his career. The Nets can build a package around Joe Harris to make the money match, and add in Royce O’Neale and Cam Thomas.”

Brooklyn could be in the mix, but it seems that they will only be interested if they won't be needing to part ways with non-major pieces. Ben Simmons, on the other hand, appears to be out of the question:

“The Hawks would want someone more like Ben Simmons back, and maybe more,” said the exec. “The Nets are looking to go for it this year. They’re not looking to get rid of any of their top guys. Not the way they’ve been playing. If you’re the Nets, and really, if you are anybody in the league with your eyes on Collins, you are just hoping the Hawks realize they’re not getting a major payback for Collins and they lower the price.”

There is clearly a lot of interest in John Collins right now, including that from the Brooklyn Nets. However, as the unnamed executive said, the only way the Hawks will be able to finally end the Collins trade saga is if they come down to a more realistic asking price for the highly sought-after 6-foot-9 power forward.