John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks isn’t experiencing his best season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.
Collins’ role in the team, while still pivotal, isn’t what it once was since the team added Dejounte Murray in the summer.
The troubles for the Hawks keep mounting and they’re having a rough year so naturally people are talking about trades – including one involving Collins.
Report: Atlanta Hawks asking price for John Collins is something in the ‘neighborhood’ of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell’s trade packages https://t.co/hXnEWqKhVb
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) January 10, 2023
We don’t know if and when Collins will leave the team and we don’t know what the Hawks will get in return for him.
But one Eastern Conference executive said that Atlanta will be demanding quite a lot for the forward.
Here’s what the executive said to Heavy Sports:
“What you are seeing with Collins now is that the Hawks want him to be treated like an All-Star, they want a big-time return for Collins — not quite like the Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell trades, but something in that neighborhood,”
As a reminder, the Jazz got three first-round picks, draft swaps, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, and Lauri Markkanen for Mitchell.
They also got Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Patrick Beverley, future first-round draft picks, a pick swap, and other players for Gobert.
Those are huge hauls for each athlete.
It’s hard to imagine that any team would be willing to part with all of that for someone like Collins.
He’s not a bad player, even with his current troubles, but he’s not of the same caliber as Mitchell or Gobert.
So is this just wishful thinking from the Hawks?
Or are they hoping to start high with any trade demands and then haggle and negotiate their way down to something more reasonable?
NEXT: Trae Young Helped His Hawks Fly Sunday Night