Atlanta Hawks power forward John Collins was the subject of trade rumors ahead of this year's NBA draft.
The draft has come and gone, and Collins is still a Hawk. However, Atlanta still views him as a trade chip they can use to build their team for 2022-23 and possibly beyond.
According to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner, a trade of Collins seems inevitable.
"The truth is no one across the league who I've spoken with believes Collins will be on the Hawks' opening night roster," Kirschner wrote. "The unfortunate reality is Collins and his family are left in limbo as they await what feels inevitable."
Kirchner added that another source close to Collins claimed the 24-year-old was "done in Atlanta."
On draft night, the Hawks were rumored to be in "significant talks" with the San Antonio Spurs on a trade package including Collins for Dejounte Murray.
This season, Collins averaged 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 54 games for the Hawks.
Collins still has four years remaining on a five-year, $125M contract. He's set to make $23.5M in 2022-23.
More must-reads:
The Boston Celtics had some veterans on their Summer League roster. That includes some players who were on last year's team, including Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman. That also includes NBA veterans which include Kenneth Lofton Jr., Isaiah Wong, and Charles Bassey. Bassey made himself stand out in the Celtics Summer League. In three games with the team, he averaged 15.3 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks a game while shooting 70.4% from the field. Despite his standout performance, a Celtics executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith that they weren't sure if the Celtics would be able to sign him. "Considering he got added to our team so late, this was an awesome run for him," the executive told Smith. "No idea if we’ll have roster space for him or not. But we’d love to keep working with Charles and see if we can make something work." Despite the Celtics having interest in keeping Bassey with the team, it appears any potential deal has fallen through. European Basketball Insider Luca D'Allesandro reported that Bassey's agent, Marc McNeil, has revealed the center is in touch with an overseas team and seemingly preparing for an NBA departure. "Charles Bassey’s agent, Marc McNeil, revealed in a statement for (Meridian Sport Srbija) that his client is in negotiations with Partizan and that the black-and-whites are his top priority," D'Alesandro wrote. "He also mentioned that there is interest from other Euroleague teams." Bassey has played for the Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs from 2021 to 2025. In his last season with the Spurs, he averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks while shooting 58.1% from the field.
There may be more to Christian Wilkins’ recent surprise release from the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported Saturday that "some sources believe an incident involving a teammate may have factored in-part into the Raiders' fatigue and release" of Wilkins. The nature of the incident is not clear. However, many believe the Raiders had a very good reason to move on from Wilkins considering the money they had invested in him. It also suggests the Raiders saw no alternative if they went straight to a release. Wilkins was dumped by the Raiders just one year into a four-year, $110 million deal. The Raiders suggested Wilkins failed to take rehab seriously as he tries to work his way back from a foot injury. Other teams do not appear to have the same concerns about Wilkins as the Raiders did, and he should find a new landing spot fairly easily. That is one of the reasons some suspect there is more to the Raiders’ decision than they are publicly saying.
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge missed Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies with an elbow injury, and the slugger is now headed to the injured list. The Yankees fell 9-4 to the Phillies on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., which marked their third consecutive loss. Judge played in Friday night's 12-5 loss to Philadelphia, but Aaron Boone announced before Saturday's game that Judge was dealing with an "elbow issue" and would sit out. Following his team's latest loss, Boone shared some new information about Judge's injury. Judge has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, but the Yankees believe he can return in less than two weeks. When Judge returns to the lineup, Boone said it will initially be as a designated hitter. Judge is having an outstanding season. He entered Saturday batting .342, which is the best mark in baseball. The reigning American League MVP has 37 home runs, 85 RBI and a 1.160 OPS. The Yankees are now six games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and fighting to remain atop the wild-card race. It goes without saying that they are hopeful Judge will be able to return as soon as possible.
Dallas Cowboys fans appear to have one thing on their mind during training camp, and they made sure to let team owner Jerry Jones know about it on Saturday. Hundreds of Cowboys fans showed up to the team's annual "Opening Day Ceremony" on Saturday in Oxnard, California. Jones addressed the crowd, and the 82-year-old was greeted with a lot of restless supporters when he took the microphone. As Jones began talking about how disappointed he was with his team's 7-10 season last year, many fans shouted the same two-word message: "Pay Micah!" The fans eventually settled enough for Jones to urge them to take note of all the changes the Cowboys have made this offseason. "I was shocked last year when we ended up with the record that we had. I never saw that coming. I want you to know, and I want you to look for as you watch practices this week, I want you to watch what we've done in the areas that we needed to work on," Jones said. "Look at what we've done in this offensive line. Look at what we've done, if you will, with our receiver cops. Look at what we're doing with our defense. A lot of changes out here -- a lot of coaching changes, a lot of player changes." Parsons is set to make $24M in the final year of his rookie contract this season. He is undoubtedly seeking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football, which would mean topping the $41M per year T.J. Watt recently got with his new deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Parsons had 12 or more sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons. Jones has hinted that he is playing hardball with the star linebacker in contract negotiations, and Cowboys fans do not seem to appreciate it.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!