The Atlanta Hawks are a team that could look drastically different in the coming weeks as we approach the 2022 NBA trade deadline. They have fallen well short of expectations they had coming into the season and things are beginning to spiral out of control.
After making a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the Hawks are now struggling to keep pace just to land in the NBA Play-In Tournament. They are currently three games behind the 10th and 11th place Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, who have identical 21-21 records.
The Hawks need to shake things up and they have already begun that process. They completed a trade with the Knicks today that was centered around Cam Reddish. Reddish, the No. 10 overall pick from the 2019 NBA Draft, is heading to the Big Apple along with Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round draft pick.
Heading back to Atlanta is Kevin Knox II and a 2022 first-round pick via the Charlotte Hornets, which is top-18 protected this year and top-16 protected next year. Given the improvements the Hornets have made, that pick could convey this season, but it will go down to the wire.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: These 3 Teams Should Push To Trade For Hawks’ John Collins
There will now be plenty of eyes on the Atlanta Hawks wondering what they will do next. They committed a ton of money to Trae Young, John Collins and Clint Capela, but there is now some animosity bubbling.
Collins has grown frustrated with his role on the team, as he has seen his shot attempts and usage percentage dip for the third consecutive season. He has tried to become a leader in the locker room but feels that what he has had to say has fallen on deaf ears.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: These 3 Teams Should Push To Trade For Hawks’ John Collins
Could the Hawks ultimately end up trading Collins? If he is made available, two teams to keep an eye on are the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.
Collins has a lot of fans around the league. San Antonio and Dallas have frequently been linked as suitors for some time. In a recent interview with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Collins said: “Since I started conversations to get my contract last season, the trade conversations have been a thing that I’ve gotten used to. I pledged my allegiance to the city of Atlanta. I’ve never come in here once and pledged my allegiances elsewhere.”
While that really isn’t a trade request, this isn’t the first time there has been some friction between him and the team. There was a time heading into the 2020-21 season that it looked like John Collins could be on the move as the sides were very far apart on a contract extension. Teams like the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs were two of the teams keeping a close eye on the situation.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: These 3 Teams Should Push To Trade For Hawks’ John Collins
In the offseason, Collins and the Hawks agreed to a five-year, $125 million deal. That is a ton of money, but not close to the annual average of the four-year, $120 deal Collins was seeking. Given the construction of the roster, Collins very well may never see the increase in opportunities that he is seeking.
If things continue going south for the team, John Collins’ tune could change. If they are losing games and his role remains diminished, he could request a trade. Both the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs would be able to provide him a much bigger role offensively than the Atlanta Hawks are, and there are plenty of other teams that would jump at the opportunity to do so as well.
