Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins has been one of the bigger names floated in trade rumors, but it sounds like he won’t be going anywhere.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Thursday’s edition of “The Woj Pod” that Collins is unlikely to move, in part because his affordable rookie contract is making it difficult for the team to find value in the market for him.
“John Collins, I think, is unlikely to leave Atlanta,” Wojnarowski said, via RealGM. “I don’t think they can find value on a rookie contract for him. They’re 6-0 since Nate McMillan took over as head coach. I think they can figure out John Collins’ future … There was a limit they were willing to go in negations, around $90 million on an extension. He’ll be a restricted free agent. They can figure that out after the season.”
That restricted free agent status helped contribute to the rumors, as has the fact that Collins’ minutes have diminished since McMillan took over. A brief run as a starter in place of the injured Clint Capela is likely to only provide a temporary boost there. Still, Collins is averaging 18.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in 30.6 minutes a night.
This won’t come as welcome news to at least one team that very much wanted to add the 23-year-old.
