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Atlanta Hawks power forward John Collins is slowly regaining his form last season. In their Feb. 10 showdown against the Dallas Mavericks, Collins erupted for 33 points on 72.2 percent shooting from the field while managing to fill up his stat sheet. This whole season, he has been averaging 18.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and a block.
Despite his form, according to Sam Amick in The Athletic, say the Hawks are open to listening to offers for Collins' services. His current production might be too good that Atlanta does not trade him away even if the package involves a quality player and future assets, such as draft picks.
Article Continues BelowCollins, who is a restricted free agent this summer, sees himself as a max player and the Hawks don’t. Still, the fact that they need him right now could win out during their push for the playoffs before the process plays out in the offseason.
Despite the amount of scouting that goes into a draft selection, the pick is a guess and far from a sure thing like Collins. He is essential in the Hawks' attempt to return to the postseason. The team's last foray into the playoffs was in the 2016-17 season, where they were knocked off in the first round.
This coming offseason, Collins will be a restricted free agent. Collins rejected a $90 million contract extension from the Hawks and is allegedly wanting a max or near-max contract. There have been instances of players betting on themselves and succeeding, but there are also instances of players missing out on millions of dollars in search of that big payday.
While Collins is a promising player and is only 23 years old, looking for such a big contract is a bold move, to say the least, especially for a player who has not even been named an All-Star. Collins is one of the more interesting decision points this season for Atlanta and suitor teams.
