John Collins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Conley, Beasley, Collins, Kuzma, Russell, Walker

January 16th, 2023 at 7:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are looking for point guard help and have interest in acquiring Mike Conley from the Jazz, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack column. After a strong start, Utah has fallen to 10th in the West at 22-24 and there’s a growing belief around the league that the team may try to sell off some of its veteran assets, according to Stein.

Conley has remained effective at age 35, averaging 10.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 34 games while shooting 38% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range. The Clippers will be without John Wall for at least two weeks with an abdominal strain, and Reggie Jackson was recently demoted out of his starting spot. Conley is making $22.68MM this year and has a $14.32MM guarantee on his $24.36MM salary for 2023/24.

League sources tell Stein that the Clippers are also seeking another big man to back up Ivica Zubac, who is averaging a career-high 29.1 minutes per game.

Stein shares more trade rumors from around the league:

The Cavaliers have considered a three-way trade to acquire Malik Beasley from the Jazz and send the Hawks‘ John Collins to Utah. Stein reported in November that the Jazz had interest in Collins, but he states that a deal is being held up because the team is asking Atlanta for extra draft compensation for taking on Collins, who still has three full seasons remaining on his five-year, $125MM contract. Stein cites Caris LeVert, who has an $18.8MM expiring deal, as the most likely Cavalier to be involved in the rumored trade.
The Wizards are denying that they have interest in moving Kyle Kuzma, with sources telling Stein that the team plans to meet Kuzma’s asking price after he turns down his player option for next season. Stein states that many league executives believe Kuzma would like to move on from Washington, but he cautions that rumor may be coming from teams that are hoping to sign him.
Stein confirms a recent report from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports that the Heat have expressed interest in Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell, who has an expiring $31.4MM contract. However, the Wolves would likely have to take back Kyle Lowry unless another team can be added to the trade, and Minnesota doesn’t want to take on Lowry’s contract.
Kemba Walker, who was waived by the Mavericks prior to the leaguewide salary guarantee date, is focused on finding another NBA opportunity. Stein says a weekend report in Italy that Walker was close to signing with Olimpia Milano was mistaken.

Stein’s Latest: Quickley, Rose, Collins, Burks, Sixers

January 14th, 2023 at 2:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Although Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley continues to intrigue several rival clubs, New York is now more hesitant to include him in a potential deadline deal, given his strong play since Christmas, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.

Quickley has averaged 19.0 PPG, 5.2 APG and 5.1 RPG in his last nine games, during which the Knicks have gone 6-3. As was revealed previously, the Mavericks, Wizards, and Bucks are among the clubs with interest in the 6’3″ guard. Overall on the season, he is posting averages of 12.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 3.3 APG for the 24-19 Knicks.

There’s more from Stein:

Sources inform Stein that veteran Knicks reserve guard Derrick Rose could be on the move as well. The former three-time All-Star and 2011 MVP has long been a favorite player for head coach Tom Thibodeau, who also coached him with the Bulls and Timberwolves. A source tells Stein that New York would only make a move if the team feels it can “do right by” Rose. This would seem to suggest that the Knicks want to flip the 6’3″ vet to a team with an actual rotational need for him, as he has fallen out of New York’s lineups.
The Hawks have allowed the management team of power forward John Collins to look for favorable possible trade destinations, per Stein. Collins has been on the trading block for a while now. Stein writes that the Jazz, Wizards, Nets and Pacers remain intrigued by Collins to some extent. The 6’9″ big man has been having something of a down season, averaging his fewest field goal attempts (10.3) and points (13.1) since his 2o17/18 rookie year.
Pistons shooting guard Alec Burks has so impressed his current team that Detroit has reportedly been informing rival clubs that it would like to keep him and plans to pick up his $10.5MM team option for 2023/24, according to Stein. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported something similar earlier in the week, noting that it would take a significant return to pry Burks away. Thus far this season, the 31-year-old is averaging 13.8 PPG on .461/.444/.810 shooting splits. He’s also chipping in 3.0 RPG and 2.2 APG for the Pistons.
The Sixers, looking to reduce their luxury-tax bill at the end of the season, are expected to try to trade shooting guards Jaden Springer and/or Furkan Korkmaz ahead of the trade deadline, Stein reports.

Hawks Rumors: Schlenk, Ressler, Murray, Collins

January 13th, 2023 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks‘ impending promotion of Kyle Korver to assistant general manager is just one of many changes taking place in the team’s front office this season, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic.

According to Amick, although the Hawks announced last month that Travis Schlenk would be moving into an advisory role after stepping down from his president of basketball operations position, league sources tell The Athletic that Schlenk is no longer part of the operation in Atlanta and is free to leave for another team if he so chooses.

Nick Ressler, the 27-year-old son of Hawks owner Tony Ressler, has had “increasing influence” on both roster and staffing decisions since becoming the franchise’s director of business and basketball operations in December 2020, Amick explains, adding that the younger Ressler’s “effect on the decision-making process” was a factor in Schlenk’s departure.

Amick describes the Dejounte Murray trade as the “beginning of the end” for the previous regime in Atlanta, reporting that Schlenk expressed reservations about the price the team paid for the former Spurs guard (three first-round picks, including two unprotected, and a pick swap). Nick Ressler was the driving force behind that move, per Amick.

The “messiness” involving head coach Nate McMillan in early December also played a part in ownership’s final decision on Schlenk, according to Amick, who adds that Tony Ressler may bring in a more experienced executive at some point to help fill out a fairly green front office. There has also been plenty of chatter about the possibility of the Hawks adding more former players to their basketball operations department, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

Atlanta has been one of the NBA’s most active teams in trade talks in recent weeks and is very much in the market for immediate help, as opposed to trying to recoup draft picks, Amick writes. It’s clear the Hawks’ priority is still to win as soon as possible despite a disappointing start to this season (the team’s record is 19-22).
Rival executives who have spoken to the Hawks about John Collins indicate that the asking price has come down considerably compared to where it was in past years, says Amick. League sources tell The Athletic that there are some scenarios in which Atlanta is simply asking for a quality player in return for Collins, as opposed to that player plus draft capital.
Speaking to Amick, Collins referred to Schlenk’s “advisory role” using air quotes and suggested that the Hawks’ players hadn’t received a full explanation for the front office changes. Murray, meanwhile, admitted that his first season in Atlanta has been more turbulent than he anticipated. “I mean, there’s a lot going on (that’s) non-basketball,” Murray said. “And then with basketball, you’ve got guys in trade rumors.”
Here’s more from Murray on that outside noise: “I wouldn’t say more than what I expected, but more than where I came from in San Antonio where everything was just not as loud. There’s a lot going on, but for me I’m just trying to keep guys together with my leadership, showing up to work, working hard, being vocal and keeping us together, and trying to keep the outside noise the outside noise. But at the end of the day, we all see it. You can’t hide. You can’t run from it. … At the end of the day, winning takes care of it all. So we need to control what we can control, continue to come together as brothers, and try to go out and win basketball games.”

Fischer’s Latest: Jazz, Suns, McDaniels, Sixers, Holmes

January 12th, 2023 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Maher

League personnel expect the Jazz to become a seller ahead of the February 9 trade deadline, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who reports that Utah has received a lot of interest in Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. The Jazz are looking for a first-round pick in exchange for either player, sources tell Fischer.

A couple weeks ago, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported about three-team trade talks between the Jazz, Suns and Hawks that involved Beasley, Vanderbilt, John Collins and Jae Crowder. Fischer hears from sources that the Jazz and Hawks also discussed a more straightforward deal, with Beasley and Vanderbilt heading to Atlanta in exchange for Collins, but suggests that the deal may have fallen apart when Utah asked for a first-rounder as well.

Echoing a report from Marc Stein, Fischer says Jordan Clarkson “is not considered a trade candidate at this time.” The Jazz want to keep the veteran guard, but are currently limited in what they can offer him in an extension, so he is expected to hit free agency.

Here’s more from Fischer:

Fischer suggests that a three-team deal is the most likely pathway for Crowder to eventually be dealt from the Suns. The Bucks are known to be very interested in Crowder, with Fischer reiterating that Milwaukee has been dangling Grayson Allen to rival teams. Charania reported a couple days ago that the Suns are interested in Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels, but sources tell Fischer that the fourth-year forward is a favorite of GM Mitch Kupchak, so Allen and second-round picks is unlikely to be enough for Charlotte.
Rival teams have gotten the impression that the Suns are looking for another ball-handler at guard, potentially a long-term replacement for point guard Chris Paul, Fischer adds.
Like Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Fischer says the Wizards aren’t currently open to trading Kyle Kuzma, as the team hopes to re-sign him in free agency.
Unsurprisingly, Fischer writes that the Sixers will be actively looking for roster upgrades ahead of a playoff push. However, if that doesn’t come to fruition, Fischer suggests Philadelphia might dump a smaller salary to dip below the luxury tax threshold, pointing to Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle and Jaden Springer as potential contracts that could be moved.
Kings backup center Richaun Holmes is available on the trade market, sources tell Fischer. The 29-year-old is in the second year of a four-year, $46MM deal, but has fallen out of Sacramento’s rotation under new head coach Mike Brown, averaging just 2.7 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 26 games (9.0 MPG). He averaged 14.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 1.6 BPG in 2020/21, so it’s possible a rival team might view him as a bounce-back candidate, but there’s no question that his value has declined.

Pacers Rumors: Power Forward, Duarte, Collins, Turner, Bitadze

January 12th, 2023 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

The growing sense among rival teams is that the 23-19 Pacers could be a buyer, rather than a seller, at this season’s trade deadline, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Fischer acknowledges that Indiana’s trade deadline outlook could certainly be altered if Tyrese Haliburton‘s foot injury causes him to miss an extended period. Fischer also adds a caveat to the team’s potential status as a buyer — the Pacers won’t be in the market for short-term veterans like Jae Crowder or Bojan Bogdanovic, but will have an eye out for players who could be long-term fits.

According to Fischer, power forward is the spot the Pacers would most like to upgrade. Indiana was high on Keegan Murray prior to the 2022 draft, and while the club was happy to ultimately land Bennedict Mathurin at No. 6, missing out on Murray means the power forward position remains a priority going forward.

If they want to get aggressive, the Pacers will have a couple extra 2023 first-round picks to dangle in trade talks, having acquired Cleveland’s and Boston’s first-rounders. Additionally, while Indiana viewed Chris Duarte as off limits at one point, multiple front office sources tell Fischer that the team has been more willing to discuss him in recent talks.

Here’s more on the Pacers’ plans:

Indiana has had internal discussions about the possibility of pursuing Hawks power forward John Collins, according to Fischer, who notes that Duarte and draft capital might appeal to Atlanta. The Hawks previously pitched the idea of trading Collins to the Pelicans for Trey Murphy and a first-round pick, Fischer explains. The fact that the Pacers could absorb Collins into their cap room without sending out matching salary could also intrigue the Hawks, who are right around the luxury tax line.
The Pacers and Myles Turner‘s representatives at CAA continue to discuss a possible renegotiation-and-extension for the veteran center, sources tell Yahoo Sports. Fischer suggests that the four-year, $133MM offer sheet Indiana gave Deandre Ayton in July would be an “obvious benchmark” for Turner’s side to use in contract negotiations.
Trade rumors involving Turner have slowed down as of late, Fischer observes. Teams like the Hornets, Pelicans, Mavericks, and Lakers have been viewed as potential suitors in the past, but don’t appear to be targeting Turner at this point. If the 26-year-old ends up back on the trade block, the Knicks, Raptors, and Clippers could be fits, Fischer writes.
The most likely Pacers center to be traded is Goga Bitadze, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that the club would be willing to work with Bitadze’s representatives to find him a new team. Daniel Theis is due back from injury soon and Bitadze hasn’t had much of a role even with Theis out. The fourth-year center also hasn’t been interested in accepting an assignment to the Pacers’ G League team in Fort Wayne, says Fischer.

Eastern Notes: Collins, Ibaka, Barrett, Hornets

January 9th, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks forward John Collins, one of the league’s prime trade candidates, is “comfortable” with whatever happens over the next month, he told Sam Amick of The Athletic in an extensive interview.

“I come in and I play basketball, and whatever happens, happens because I don’t control that side. I don’t have any control over any decisions that get made, where I am and where I play. I don’t have any control over that,” he said. “I can say, ‘Hey, I want to do this and I wanna do that,’ and they (the Hawks) can just do whatever they feel is fair. You saw it with Kevin Durant, right? He’s begging for trade, and Brooklyn is like, ‘Nah.’ Not saying that I’m Kevin Durant, but it’s just the mentality of ‘Yeah, you can say whatever, you can make a public scene, you can do whatever (and it won’t matter).’”

Collins, who is averaging 13.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per night, is in the second year of a five-year, $125MM contract with the Hawks.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Bucks forward Serge Ibaka will miss the team’s road trip for personal reasons, according to coach Mike Budenholzer, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The Bucks faced the Knicks on Monday. Milwaukee plays Atlanta and Miami (twice) before returning home. Ibaka has appeared in 16 games this season but has averaged just 11.6 minutes in those contests.
RJ Barrett is “real close” to returning to action, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link) and other media members. Barrett hasn’t played since departing in the first quarter against Dallas on Dec. 27 due to a lacerated finger. New York’s next game is against Indiana on Wednesday.
The Hornets are likely to be sellers at the trade deadline, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer opines in his latest mailbag. President of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak hasn’t made major trades during his tenure in Charlotte, but with the club floundering, players on expiring contracts such as Mason Plumlee and Kelly Oubre could be dealt to contenders.

Jazz, Hawks, Suns Discussed Possible Three-Team Trade

December 28th, 2022 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz, Hawks, and Suns discussed a possible three-team trade that would have sent John Collins to Utah and Jae Crowder to Atlanta, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link).

As Charania outlines, Phoenix would have acquired swingman Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz in the proposed deal, while Utah would have received Collins and other assets and Atlanta would have gotten Crowder and at least one other player.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that Suns guard Landry Shamet was also included in those trade talks and would have been sent to the Hawks along with Crowder in at least one proposed framework.

According to Charania, the trade failed to gain serious traction because Utah was seeking multiple first-round picks along with Collins.

That Jazz asking price is both an indication of how they view Collins’ long-term contract (he’s owed $78.5MM for three years after this season) and how they value Beasley and Vanderbilt. Scotto has heard from rival executives that the Jazz consider Vanderbilt to be worth a first-round pick based on his production, age (23), and contract ($4.7MM team option for 2023/24).

While Charania’s report doesn’t make it 100% clear, it sounds as if Utah may have been seeking one first-round pick from Atlanta and one from Phoenix in the proposed swap. However, the Hawks don’t consider Collins a player they want to salary-dump, according to Charania, so they’d probably be reluctant to attach a first-round selection to him for a non-star, especially after having already surrendered multiple future first-rounders for Dejounte Murray over the summer.

Both Collins and Crowder have spent much of the season on the trade block, so we’ll likely hear their names pop up repeatedly leading up to the February 9 deadline. The Jazz are another team expected to be active in trade discussions, though their unexpectedly solid first half has created some uncertainty about whether they’ll be more inclined to buy or sell.

Trade Rumors: Crowder, Wizards, Collins, Reddish, Lakers, Raptors

December 22nd, 2022 at 2:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks, Heat and Hawks have been linked to Jae Crowder multiple times and are “widely regarded” as his top suitors, but the Wizards recently made an offer for the veteran forward, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article (subscription required).

Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, a restricted free agent in the summer who is set to return tonight from an ankle injury, was believed to be part of the trade package, but the Suns declined and are said to be looking for a “certifiable starter” in exchange for Crowder, according to Stein.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst previously identified the Wizards as a potential Crowder suitor and noted that Hachimura could be a trade candidate.

Here are a couple more trade rumors and one note from around the NBA:

The Hawks have “widened the scope” of their trade talks involving John Collins, sources tell Stein. While that seems to indicate that Atlanta will eventually find a suitable deal for Collins, the size and length of his contract ($102MM over four years), plus his limited role and declining production this season, have made it difficult thus far to find a trade partner for the veteran power forward, says Stein.
Some people in the Lakers‘ organization are “very intrigued” by Knicks wing Cam Reddish, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. They view him as a youthful reclamation project, which the team has had some success with in the past couple seasons (Malik Monk and Lonnie Walker). Sources tell Woike that the Knicks are looking for a protected first-rounder for the 23-year-old, but that asking price is expected to dip as Reddish is no longer in New York’s rotation. Reddish will be a restricted free agent in the summer if he’s extended a qualifying offer.
Count Zach Kram of The Ringer among the writers who believe that the Raptors should make moves to reset the roster ahead of the trade deadline. Kram notes that Toronto’s half-court offense has been very poor and the defense has been much worse than expected compared to last season. The Raptors have some very valuable players so they don’t need to do a full tear-down, but it’s evident that things aren’t working with the current group, Kram writes.

Southeast Notes: Young, McMillan, Collins, Wright, Beal, Oladipo

December 21st, 2022 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks guard Trae Young and head coach Nate McMillan both downplayed an alleged confrontation that occurred earlier this month, but there has been chatter that their relationship has gotten worse since then, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, who said one league executive referred to the situation in Atlanta as “toxic.”

“When they win, everybody’s happy for a minute,” one source told Bulpett. “But when they lose, it gets messy. Instead of trying to get it figured out, there’s a lot of blame being thrown around.”

According to Bulpett, one opposing coach said that Young and McMillan don’t like each other, and suggested that “other players have issues with Trae” as well.

“There were teams that questioned whether he’d ever be this good because of his size when he was coming out,” a front office source said of Young. “So it’s good to have that kind of fight in you. But at some point, you’d hope he’d realize the effect he can have on his team, both positive and negative. Sometimes you have to take a step back and maybe take a hit to make the whole thing work.”

Meanwhile, although John Collins‘ name has once again come up in trade rumors, sources who spoke to Bulpett pointed to the big man’s contract as a potential roadblock as the Hawks seek a trade partner. He’s still owed $78.5MM across three seasons after this one.

“He’s not a bad player. He’s actually a good player,” a source told Bulpett. “The problem is he’s not worth 23-and-a-half million. There are places he could go where he’d really be helping a team and really be happy, but right now that contract is in the way. We’ll see if anyone’s going to bite or if Atlanta’s going to make it worth another team’s while.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Asked on Tuesday if there’s a chance Delon Wright will return to action for the Wizards on Thursday, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. responded, “I hope so,” tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Wright has been on the shelf for nearly two months, but finally seems on the verge of being reactivated.
In a story for The Athletic, Robbins and Jovan Buha explore whether it’s realistic to think the Wizards and Lakers could work out a trade that sends Bradley Beal to Los Angeles for Russell Westbrook and draft picks. Robbins is skeptical, but points out that Beal’s no-trade clause will make it challenging for the Wizards to maximize the guard’s value if he ever wants to be dealt, since he could veto deals to unwanted destinations.
With several Heat regulars unavailable, Victor Oladipo made his first start of the year and played a season-high 34 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Chicago. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel relays, head coach Erik Spoelstra made it clear after the game that he doesn’t intend to lean that heavily on Oladipo often as he continues to work his way back to 100%. “I wouldn’t have done this with Vic if it wasn’t clearly communicated with him and with the training staff and if we didn’t have two days after the last game, two days before the next game,” Spoelstra said.

Hawks’ John Collins Expected To Return On Monday

December 19th, 2022 at 12:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks forward John Collins is expected to return to action on Monday against Orlando, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Collins is officially listed as questionable, but it sounds like he’ll be upgraded later today. He suffered a left ankle sprain on December 2 and was expected to miss at least two weeks, so his return appears to be on schedule. He has missed eight straight games with the injury.

The 25-year-old has been the subject of trade rumors for a few years, and if he performs well upon his return to the lineup, it could help facilitate a deal for Atlanta. The Jazz and Nets are among the teams that have shown some interest in the six-year veteran.

Collins is having a down season by his standards — through 22 games (31.5 MPG), he’s averaging 12.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 1.4 BPG on .484/.219/.845 shooting. For context, his career marks are 16.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 1.1 BPG on .555/.362/.783 shooting.

The Hawks went 3-5 without their starting power forward in the lineup, and are currently 15-15, the No. 8 seed in the East. Fellow starter Dejounte Murray, who has been dealing with his own left ankle sprain, appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery — he was expected to miss at least two weeks, but 11 days later he’s also listed as questionable against the Magic.