One of the moves made during the NBA offseason that flew somewhat under the radar due to all the substantial moves that were made in the league this summer was the Atlanta Hawks shipping veteran forward John Collins to the Utah Jazz.
Over the past few years, Collins’ name was mentioned frequently in trade rumors, as it seemed the Hawks were desperately trying to trade him to another team but couldn’t find the right trade package or a team interested enough to take him on.
Fortunately for Collins, he was finally able to get moved and have a fresh start on a team that won’t have high expectations heading into the 2023-24 NBA season.
Interestingly enough, Collins dropped a pretty significant hint about what was going on in Atlanta during his first Media Day with the Jazz, as he made it clear there are no egos in Utah, which can’t be said for the Hawks, apparently, according to Andy Blarsen of The Salt Lake Tribune via NBACentral.
"I’d say the one thing that has surprised me is the lack of ego here. It’s refreshing to have a group of guys that truly emphasize playing team basketball and that want to do so." 👀
– John Collins on joining Utah
(Via @andyblarsen ) pic.twitter.com/zu2DPhIUiD
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 2, 2023
This could’ve been a direct shot at superstar guard Trae Young of the Hawks, who has been rumored to be very difficult to play with in Atlanta and potentially one of the main reasons that team has failed to live up to expectations over the years.
There’s no doubt that Young is supremely talented and one of the best guards in the NBA today, but the Hawks never seem to be that much of a threat with him leading the way, and that might be starting to backfire on the young guard.
NEXT: Jazz's Star Announces Major Personal Accomplishment
