Bleacher Report columnist Zach Buckley listed off one potential trade target for all 30 NBA teams. On Dec. 15, players who signed deals during this past offseason will be eligible to be moved.
The NBA trade deadline is also a little over two months away, on Feb. 9. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks wing John Collins was listed as the player they should target.
“At some point in the near future, the Thunder will eventually cobble together some of their long-term assets and convert them into win-now talent. You could argue such a swap should happen sooner than later, since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing at an MVP level and other young players in the rotation are finding their footing.
Should OKC decide to search for a rebuild accelerator before the deadline, Collins could be a perfect fit.
He could take some scoring heat off Gilgeous-Alexander, hammer home lob passes from Josh Giddey and keep the interior open for the eventual return of Chet Holmgren. Collins is also only a year older than Gilgeous-Alexander, so they could peak together and help guide this roster into the future.”
The 25-year-old has had an unstable stay with the Hawks in his six seasons with them. It seems like Collins has been in trade rumors for a few years now.
In terms of his contract, Collins is in the first year of a four-year deal with the fourth year being a player option.
Collins is set to make $23.5 million this season, $25.3 million next season, $26.6 million in the 2024-25 season and $26.6 million in the 2025-26 season if he picks up his option.
