On Saturday, I brought up sign-and-trade options with the teams Shams Charania recently linked to John Collins. If you read that article, you can see there aren’t many enticing options when talking about the Mavericks, Heat, Spurs, and Timberwolves as potential trade partners. Unless one of those teams upped the ante in a deal, I think the Hawks would probably plan on just matching the offer sheet he signed. However, that’s not the only way Travis Schlenk could handle this situation.
Like every offseason, several NBA stars will become disgruntled and force a trade. It happens like clockwork this time of the year. If one of these particular stars piques the interest of Schlenk, he could attempt to use Collins as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade. It likely wouldn’t be straight up, but the Hawks have a plethora of young pieces that could also entice other teams.
76ers trade Ben Simmons for John Collins and Kevin Huerter
What a trade this would be? After completely failing to produce against the Hawks in the postseason, eventually leading to the 76ers’ elimination, there’s a good chance Ben Simmons never suits up for Philadelphia again. I expect him to get traded, and this could be one of those deals that work out for both sides. Simmons could be the defensive stopper and second playmaker the Hawks need. I love his fit with Trae Young; meanwhile, the 76ers acquire a better fit in John Collins and add to their wing depth with Kevin Huerter, who tortured Philadelphia in Game 7. Truthfully, I see the 76ers wanting a bit more than this for Simmons, but depending on what other teams are willing to offer, I could see the Hawks potentially being interested in Simmons.
Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard for John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, Onyeka Okongwu, and picks
Jake recently wrote an article on stars the Hawks could potentially pair with Trae Young, and his line about Damian Lillard is spot on. He’s the type of player you throw the kitchen sink at. Pairing him with Trae Young would be a nightmare for opponents. Sure, there are some concerns, but when you have two guys that can go off for 50 on any given night, you worry about the rest later.
If I’m Portland, I’m not really looking to trade Lillard, especially since he’s just entering the first year of a four-year extension. However, if he makes it clear he wants out this offseason, it may be best for both sides to work out a deal. If Lillard hits the trade block, the entire league will be interested, but the Hawks have a bevy of pieces to offer the Blazers, allowing them to retool rather than rebuild. I honestly don’t know what the asking price from Portland would be, but I imagine it would be something crazy like this.
Wizards trade Bradley Beal for John Collins, Kevin Huerter, Onyeka Okongwu, and picks
The Wizards may be looking for more than this, but unless Beal is willing to sign an extension before a trade, I’m unsure how much interested teams will be willing to trade for his services. Someone might be able to beat this hypothetical package from the Hawks, but this is probably as far as I would go without some sort of assurance that he would like to stay in Atlanta for more than one season.
Lakers trade Anthony Davis for John Collins, Clint Capela, Kevin Huerter, and Cam Reddish
The Lakers are never satisfied, and they certainly have to be re-evaluating their roster after losing in the first round to the Suns. I expect them to explore trades for Anthony Davis. However, it will take a ridiculous return for them actually to pull the trigger on a trade. This might be enough to get it done, and if it isn’t, the Hawks could consider adding De’Andre Hunter in place of Reddish or Huerter. Collins and Capela should replace a lot of Davis’ production while Huerter and Reddish give the Lakers much-needed help on the wing with plenty of upside.
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