John Collins was traded to the Jazz a few days ago, in exchange for Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick. On one side, this trade was made as a basketball decision, and on the other, it was made as a salary-saving move for the future. Let’s look at both sides.
From the Hawks’ point of view, this was a deal that had to be done. In my opinion, it should have been done a year or two ago, but what likely pushed the needle on this move was the new CBA. Collins is owed $78 million over the next three years, and if the Hawks had to pay him that, it would have been a steep price for the owner. Now, the Hawks have a $25.3 million trade exception that could be used to take on another player’s contract, the largest trade exception in the NBA. Props to them for finally trading Collins, but if they traded him a year or two ago, they would’ve received a lot more than Rudy Gay. Collins had his worst season since his rookie year during 2023, and it certainly tanked his trade value. Once a 20-10 guy, Collins averaged 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, with his three-point shooting dipping to 29.2%.
Looking at it from the Jazz point of view, this trade is a win! With no max contracts on the team, taking on Collins’ salary won’t put them in the luxury tax. Collins is a fantastic player, almost an All-Star caliber at his best, and on top of that, all they gave up was Gay and a second-rounder. This is a great trade for the team.
The only thing I wonder about with this deal is how he’ll end up fitting with the team. Lauri Markkanen is the team’s leader right now, and while he plays some small forward, he mostly plays power forward, Collins’ position. In addition, the Jazz just drafted Taylor Hendricks with their lottery pick, a power forward out of Central Florida. They’re going to have to play around with positioning and lineups, but I’m sure there’s a way to make it work.
What did you think of this trade? Let me know in the comments below, don’t forget to follow the NBA Blog, and as always, have an awesome day!
Photo Credit:
Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
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