With the NBA trade deadline just around the corner, the speculation of which Utah Jazz players could be sent packing ahead of the NBA trade deadline continues to rise. One name that keeps coming up on the social media front is first-year Jazzman John Collins.
Due to his uneven play on the court and the potential of rookie forward Taylor Hendricks, it may make sense to move on from Collins. The subject came up when ex-Jazz assistant coach Gordie Chiesa was asked if he’d be surprised if Collins was traded on ESPN 700's The Bill Riley Show.
“I would not be surprised, no. Right now, I’ll call them mixed results,” Chiesa told Riley. “He’s a talent, and he has some good moments, and you want to get bang for your buck. So, his contract right now, this year is $26.3 million, next year $26.5 [million], and the 25-26 season $26.5 [million] and a player option. So, if they can find a buyer, it’s possible they could try to move him on and reassess that, so again, mixed results.”
Indeed, the Jazz have gotten ‘mixed results’ from Collins this season. He’s averaging a respectable 13.7 points and hauling in 7.8 rebounds while logging 28.5 minutes per contest. Also, his three-point percentage is 37%, which is up from the 29.2% he shot in his last season with the Atlanta Hawks.
But from this point of view, it’s not a matter of whether Utah wants to trade Collins, but can they find a buyer willing to take on his outrageous contract? Considering the amount of time left and the player option in 2025-26, that will be a challenge.
A major issue is that Utah has been a better team with Collins on the bench this season than when he’s on the court. As a team, the Jazz have a net rating of -4.6 on the year, but with Collins on the court, that number is an eye-popping -14.6. Yikes...
It’s a similar problem that Collins had last season with the Hawks. The net rating as a team for the Hawks in 2022-23 was .3, while Collins posted a dismal -7.6 net rating.
It appears the Jazz have taken note of the issue on hand. After Utah’s slow start versus the Boston Celtics on Friday night, Collins was was pulled from the game at the 8:21 minute in the first quarter. He finished the game with a -28 net rating.
That said, if Utah is able to find a buyer, they’ll have to take on a bad contract in return. The situation that’s going on with the Golden State Warriors is something Jazz fans should be keeping an eye on.
There should be a market for the combination of Chris Paul and Jonathan Kuminga to be moved before the trade deadline. The Warriors still want to win now, while Steph Curry is still a top-five player in the league.
The Jazz is still rebuilding and could do a deal similar to what happened with Russell Westbrook last season. Also, keep in mind Paul’s recent injury is projected to keep him on the shelf for 4-8 weeks, making it more likely he’s traded to a team that's selling.
Utah could trade for Paul and come to a buyout agreement, giving the future Hall-of-Famer an opportunity to sign with a contender in his quest for a championship. It’s also rumored that Kuminga isn’t happy playing for Steve Kerr, and playing in Salt Lake City would give him an opportunity for more minutes with a team on the rise.
I’m still not sure Golden State would be willing to take on Collins’ contract. It’s that bad. A deal could still happen, but Golden State's preference would be taking on the likes of Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, and Simone Fontecchio in a potential exchange.
The trade deadline is February 8.
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