The San Antonio Spurs have officially found another great, young player: Dejounte Murray. The 25-year-old point guard has shined for the Spurs this season. Even though he won't lead them anywhere this season, he has proven to be a key piece of their rebuild. The Atlanta Hawks have a franchise point guard of their own in Trae Young but have not found the right group of players to continually succeed with him. One of their key supporting pieces is practically out the door already.
John Collins has been a talented player ever since being drafted 19th overall by the Hawks in the 2017 draft. However, he has been publicly upset with the team numerous times. It's a matter of when, not if, Atlanta moves on from him. They will have plenty of options when they do.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, San Antonio has been linked to the Hawks' power forward for a while now. He also reported that the Hawks have an interest in the Spurs' Derrick White.
Jerami Grant has been frequently mentioned as a primary trade target for the Hawks this deadline, and Atlanta placed a call to San Antonio about Derrick White, sources said. The Spurs and Mavericks have been considered Collins suitors dating back to the 2020 offseason.
Since both teams have an insert in each other's player, it makes sense for the Spurs and Hawks to find a trade partner in one another.
John Collins Spurs Trade
Proposed trade:
San Antonio Spurs receive: John Collins, 2022 first-round pick via Hornets
Atlanta Hawks receive: Derrick White, Lonnie Walker, 2023 second-round pick via Pacers
The Spurs have a collection of promising wings that haven't yet proven to be keepers: Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Josh Primo and Walker. Consolidating the wing room and bringing in a fringe young star will help San Antonio find out which players are pieces for the long run and which are expandable.
Collins would provide a strong offensive spark next to the defensive-minded Jakob Poeltl. He's a threat as a 3-point shooter and lob threat, which would make pick-and-rolls with him and Murray tremendous sources of offense. The draft pick they are getting is heavily protected and is not expected to convey this season.
Atlanta, meanwhile, has shown that they badly want defensive reinforcements by showing interest in both White and Marcus Smart. White is a good scoring/playmaking compliment next to Young and is a stout perimeter defender. The Hawks also get to take a flyer on Walker and add a draft pick.
The Hawks reportedly want to land White and a first-round pick but given Collins' strong desire to leave, they may have to settle for less. The Pacers' pick could be very high in the second round, though, and they could demand more draft compensation in order to make up for the first-rounder they lose.
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