John Collins has been rumored to be on the trade block for pretty much half of his career with the Atlanta Hawks. The 6-foot-9 power forwards has been around for just five years, which speaks volumes of how uncertain his future has been with the team. Throughout this entire ordeal, however, it appears that Collins has held his head high.

According to Hawks general manager Landry Fields, Collins has been nothing but a model professional through all this. The 24-year-old is well aware that he has been discussed in potential trades away from Atlanta, but his attitude has been steadfast enough for him not to be affected by the outside noise (via Mark Medina of NBA.com)

“He’s the ultimate professional,” Fields said. “He always has been. That’s one of his great values. For a guy to hear his name constantly in this, he’s able to maintain a level of professionalism and focus and will to work. You have to give the guy credit for that. A lot of players in this league don’t get enough credit for that.”

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It must be hard to know that at any minute, you could be on your way out. It's not that he's unwanted in Atlanta, but you really can't blame Collins if he's feeling unappreciated by his team.

Be that as it may, it sounds like he's gotten used to all this by now. It's never easy, but somehow, it appears as though John Collins has found a way to thrive amid all the uncertainty surrounding him. The Hawks, or whichever team he ends up playing for, are/will be lucky to have him.