One NBA writer is proposing that the Los Angeles Clippers acquire power forward John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks this summer.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report proposed that the Clippers trade guard Terance Mann and forward Marcus Morris Sr. to the Hawks for Collins.
“If the Clippers want to continue the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George experiment, they should look into ways of adding more quality and less quantity around them,” Swartz wrote. “Collins, 25, needs a change of scenery and could thrive as a third or fourth option in Los Angeles. He’s a good enough three-point shooter to keep the floor spread and can play either power forward or center for stretches.
“With Collins not living up to his contract in Atlanta, the Hawks can use Morris as the team’s starting power forward while Mann is a do-it-all guard off the bench.”
Collins has been in trade rumors for the past few seasons. The Hawks always seem open to moving the 25-year-old, but they end up never pulling the trigger. It will be interesting to see what Atlanta does with Collins this offseason.
A Wake Forest product, Collins averaged 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists this season for the Hawks while shooting 50.8% from the field, 29.2% from beyond the arc and 80.3% from the free-throw line. He signed a five-year, $125 million contract with Atlanta in August 2021.
Collins has career averages of 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He was the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Hawks lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs in six games. Quin Snyder was hired as head coach in February. He replaced Nate McMillan, who led Atlanta to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.
The Clippers lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs in five games. Kawhi Leonard only played in Games 1 and 2 of the Suns series, while Paul George missed the entire series.
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