Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins figures to be one of the most sought-after free agents in this upcoming offseason. After having an impressive 2020-21 campaign, which saw him become a vital piece in Atlanta's stellar playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals, several teams have reportedly expressed interest in snagging the athletic big man from the Hawks. Among those include the San Antonio Spurs.
Signing Collins, however, could come at a hefty price. The 6-foot-9 power forward believes he deserves a max contract. Meanwhile, the Hawks are hoping they could sign him to a more team-friendly deal so they could keep financial flexibility in the future. With that, other teams such as the Spurs definitely have a good chance to pry away Collins from Atlanta.
His price may be larger than what the Spurs would ideally be willing to pay. But with a possible cap space of nearly $53 million, San Antonio may just consider opening up their wallets to bring in a 23-year old stud with tons of potential. With that said, here are three reasons the San Antonio Spurs must go hard to land John Collins this summer.
1. Collins has great two-way potential
Over his first four years, John Collins has shown tremendous growth with all aspects of his game. Initially known for his high-flying antics in his early years, he has expanded his offensive game and has stretched out to becoming a more reliable and consistent shooter from beyond the arc. His improvement as a shooter, especially over the last two seasons where he shot a combined 40.0 percent from three, is one of the more promising aspects of his game.
Collins currently doesn't possess the deepest bag of moves in the post, but he has shown ability to be able to get his own down low. Nevertheless, he is just 23 years old and playing for a legendary mentor like Gregg Popovich could definitely open up his game more.
In addition to Collins' offense, he also has the potential to become a great interior defender. While his defense hasn't been his main calling card so far, Collins possesses the physical tools to become a force on that end of the floor. With a 6-foot-11 wingspan, the 23-year old definitely has the length to bother shots in the paint.
While he hasn't used that as well as his hops to his advantage, having averaged just a block through his career, he could certainly see an improvement in that department by going to a Spurs system that puts an emphasis on defense. Apart from his length, Collins also has the athleticism and footspeed to keep in step with guards when he gets switched on them on the perimeter.
Collins is also a terrific rebounder due to his high motor and relentlessness in going after the ball. Sharing the front court with Clint Capela, his rebounding numbers were down this season. Thus, that shouldn't discount the fact that he can be a potential 20-10 threat on any given night, which he did average in the previous two campaigns.
2. Spurs are in dire need of a frontcourt presence
After Tim Duncan's departure and LaMarcus Aldridge's decline and eventual buyout this past season, San Antonio has a serious need for a presence in the frontcourt. Bringing in a multi-skilled four like Collins definitely addresses that. For majority of the 2020-21 season, the Spurs used Keldon Johnson at power forward. At 6-foot-5, Johnson may be more suited to playing the wings. Often times last year, the sophomore often found himself at a disadvantage against the taller fours in the NBA.
Collins would instantly slot into the starting power forward role and should become one of San Antonio's main features on offense. As mentioned earlier, the Wake Forest standout can play inside-out, which should give Coach Pop a ton of options on how to utilize him.
In addition, playing undersized for majority of last year, the Spurs finished the campaign as a middle-of-the-pack rebounding team. Per NBA.com, they also finished in the bottom 10 in terms of offensive rebounding and 27th in second chance opportunities. Collins' addition should at least help San Antonio with their deficiencies in that regard. In his sophomore campaign, the 23-year old finished in the top-10 across the league in offensive rebounds per game and 6th in second chance points.
Collins may not be among the juicier names out there in terms of the next big stars in the NBA. Nonetheless, he addresses a lot of San Antonio's issues and has the potential to blossom into a legitimate star under Gregg Popovich's tutelage.
3. He fits San Antonio's timeline
The three oldest players on the team – DeMar DeRozan (31), Patty Mills (32), and Rudy Gay (34) – are all set to hit free agency this summer. With that, the average age of those on guaranteed deals in San Antonio is at 22.6, with only Derrick White (27) and Jakob Poetle (25) older than Collins, who will turn 24 this September. With a bunch of 20 to 22 year olds as their core, Collins definitely fits within their timeline.
San Antonio isn't probably going to contend with whatever pieces they have, even if they get Collins to join the fray. Nonetheless, his arrival should still make Gregg Popovich's squad a tough out in the loaded Western Conference. In addition, Collins would be the perfect big man to pair with Dejounte Murray, who will turn 25 in September. Together, they could help usher in an exciting new era of Spurs basketball.
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