John Collins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Magic, Gafford, Hachimura, Collins, Bridges

October 19th, 2021 at 1:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic are being realistic about their expectations as they prepare for a season that will likely end with another trip to the draft lottery, writes Chris Hays of The Orlando Sentinel. With the league’s third-youngest roster at an average age of 24.7 years, Orlando will focus on developing its young talent rather than wins and losses.

“I don’t really set benchmark goals. I always believe that if you play the right way and play together, then the results will kind if speak for themselves,” said president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman. “Obviously, we’ve recalibrated what we’re doing right now, so with this group I do expect us to play hard. This is about growth. This is about the development of our players. It’s about a lot of young guys learning what it takes to win in the NBA.”

Weltman has upended the Magic’s roster since the March trade deadline, shipping out most of the team’s veterans in exchange for young players and draft assets. Mohamed Bamba, who is about to start his fourth season, is now second on the team in most games played for Orlando, and admitted surprise at becoming a veteran leader so quickly.

“I just try to do my part,” he said. “I don’t try to do too much, I don’t over-extend myself and when the younger guys come to me for anything, I try do the best I can to help.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Daniel Gafford‘s three-year extension shows the value the Wizards place on their young center, observes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The team also has Thomas Bryant, the starting center before being injured last year, along with Montrezl Harrell, who was acquired in an offseason trade, but management decided to make a long-term commitment to Gafford, who is now the team’s only player signed through the 2025/26 season.
Wizards forward Rui Hachimura has cleared the league’s health and safety protocols and has returned to the team, Hughes tweets. However, he won’t travel with his teammates to Toronto for Wednesday’s season opener, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link). Hachimura will remain in Washington and will continue individual workouts with assistant coaches.
Hawks big man John Collins is relieved not to have to think about his contract situation this season after signing a five-year, $125MM deal with the team over the summer, he tells Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “It’s like getting a full, restful night of sleep. That’s what it felt like to sign the paper,” Collins said. “That relief of stress and pressure just felt like I was fully awake now. It put me in a better mood. It took me a while to understand the stress but in the moment, it’s just pure bliss.”
Miles Bridges didn’t work out a contract extension with the Hornets by Monday’s deadline, but he tells Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer that he loves playing in the city. “I’m just going to continue to get better,” he said, “and hopefully I can stay with the Hornets my whole career.”

Southeast Notes: Westbrook, Wizards, Rozier, Collins, Bamba

September 29th, 2021 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Addressing a report that said Russell Westbrook helped engineer his trade to the Lakers, Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard downplayed Westbrook’s desire to leave Washington, suggesting the point guard asked about going to the Lakers, but didn’t want to be traded just anywhere.

“I really have to make sure the record is straight on that,” Sheppard told NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller (link via Matt Weyirch of NBC Sports Washington). “Russell actually never asked to move on. He just said, ‘If I can get to the Lakers, that’d be something I would love to do. If not, I’ll be back here.’ I said, ‘What about the Clippers?’ He said, ‘Hell no.’ So Russell was happy being here and we were very grateful for him being here.”

While Sheppard is being diplomatic, it would’ve been interesting to see whether Westbrook was truly happy to return to the Wizards for another season if the deal with the Lakers hadn’t worked out. The Athletic’s in-depth report earlier this week suggested that Westbrook tried to convince Bradley Beal early in the offseason that both of them should ask out of Washington.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Two years after joining the Hornets as a free agent, Terry Rozier signed a new long-term extension with the team this offseason and said on Tuesday that he feels like he’s found a home in Charlotte. “When you first get here, you just don’t know what to expect,” Rozier said, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “You are on the back-burner trying to find everything out, and then fast forward to now and I love it. I love it. It’s so peaceful. The people are so nice. I say that all the time. It’s different for me and I love it.”
Armed with a new five-year, $125MM contract, Hawks forward John Collins is looking forward to focusing exclusively on his on-court performance without having worry about his contract situation, per Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I don’t have to think about getting traded. I don’t have to think about losing what I built, and I don’t have to think about packing my house up,” Collins said. “… I know I’m going to be here, and I can continue to build. I’m just happy I get to finish, or try to finish, what I started.”
Magic center Mohamed Bamba has struggled to make a consistent impact since entering the NBA in 2018, but he views the arrival of new head coach Jamahl Mosley as an opportunity for a fresh start, writes Julia Poe of The Orlando Sentinel. Mosley wants to see Bamba make better reads on offense and be an anchor on the defensive end.

Spurs Rumors: Popovich, RFAs, Simmons, Ginobili, Young

September 29th, 2021 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

In the years leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, there had been speculation that the event would be Gregg Popovich‘s swan song. However, even after leading Team USA to gold in Japan following a one-year delay, Popovich is returning to the Spurs‘ sidelines for the 2021/22 season. And several sources who know him told Zach Lowe of ESPN in recent weeks that they wouldn’t even be surprised if Popovich sticks around for ’22/23 too.

With 26 more victories, Popovich would pass Don Nelson for the top spot on the list of the NBA’s all-time winningest coaches. Although the Spurs don’t necessarily project to be a playoff team this season, winning at least 26 games seems like a realistic goal. However, Popovich isn’t “running out the string” just to claim that record, Lowe writes.

While it remains unclear when Popovich will retire, there are some potential heir apparents within the organization, according to Lowe, who says that Will Hardy and Manu Ginobili are the two mentioned most frequently in NBA circles. Becky Hammon would also be in the mix, but Kansas coach Bill Self – previously cited as a possible candidate to succeed Popovich – has “faded” from those conversations, Lowe notes.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

The Spurs “sniffed around” restricted free agents like John Collins and Lauri Markkanen this offseason and could be an intriguing suitor for Jaren Jackson Jr. next summer if he and the Grizzlies don’t agree to an extension before then, says Lowe. The Spurs also have the assets to make a run at a player like Ben Simmons and have talked to the Sixers about him, but those discussions haven’t gotten far and it’s unclear whether San Antonio wants to re-engage with Philadelphia, sources tell ESPN.
The Spurs have turned down offers of single protected first-round picks for some of their core young players, Lowe reports. Lowe doesn’t name specific players, but Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, and Lonnie Walker are among those who could fit the bill.
Popovich suggested this week that Ginobili’s new role with the Spurs will be even more wide-ranging than initially reported, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News writes. “He is going to help (general manager) Brian (Wright) with management,” Popovich said of Ginobili. “He is going to help me with coaching. He is going to help the players with development. He is probably going to go scout some people. I think he is probably going to figure out a two-week trip to Italy to scout some players. I might go with him. But I am being serious — he is going to do all those things. See what he feels comfortable with. It’s just great to have him in the program for all kinds of reasons. But mainly because we love the guy. He is Manu Ginobili, so who wouldn’t want to have him around?”
Thaddeus Young wasn’t sure after he was traded to San Antonio whether the team intended to keep him and still doesn’t sound positive that he’ll spent the whole year with the Spurs, but he plans to be a mentor to the club’s young players as he long as he’s with the team (Twitter links via Orsborn). “I am going to show up each and every day and make sure I am working, and make sure I am bringing the guys along and getting them better as well,” Young said. A previous report suggested Phoenix is among the contending teams with trade interest in the veteran forward.

Hawks Notes: Huerter, Okongwu, Bogdanovic, Hunter, Capela, Collins, Hill

September 27th, 2021 at 1:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are engaged in extension talks with Kevin Huerter, and coach Nate McMillan hopes an agreement can be reached before next month’s deadline, tweets Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Speaking at Media Day, McMillan said the Hawks are “crossing their fingers” that a new deal will happen and the team is laying a foundation by signing core players to long-term contracts this offseason.

Huerter also expressed hope, telling Spencer, “We’re still working. It’s something we’ve kind of worked through throughout the summer. Mostly I let my agent and (general manager Travis Schlenk) handle (it). Obviously I hope to get something done, but there’s no guarantees.” (Twitter link).

Huerter continues to rehab from offseason ankle surgery, and said he’s “95% healthy” heading into the start of training camp (Twitter link).

There’s more from Atlanta:

Onyeka Okongwu tells Spencer that he hopes to be ready to play in December (Twitter link). The second-year center underwent surgery in July to fix a torn labrum in his right shoulder and was given a six-month timetable for recovery.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela entered the offseason with health concerns, but McMillan expects them all to be ready for the October 21 season opener, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. However, McMillan doesn’t plan for them to see much playing time in the team’s four preseason games. Bogdanovic experienced soreness in his right knee during last season’s playoffs, but recently said he feels completely healthy. Hunter had surgery on his right knee in June, while Capela had to get a PRP injection in his Achilles tendon. He told reporters that he played through an Achilles injury last season (Twitter link).
Re-signing restricted free agent John Collins was an offseason priority in Atlanta, but he revealed today that he never talked with any other teams, Kirschner adds (Twitter link). Collins reached a five-year, $125MM deal to stay with the Hawks.
Veteran forward Solomon Hill said his close relationship with McMillan influenced his decision to re-sign with Atlanta (Twitter link). “I knew this is where I wanted to be,” Hill said.

Hawks Notes: Reddish, Collins, Huerter, Hunter

September 4th, 2021 at 7:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks have enough young players and future draft picks to facilitate a Ben Simmons trade, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic writes in a mailbag column. He uses the Timberwolves as an example of a team that wants Simmons, but may not have the assets to make an offer that would interest the Sixers. Kirschner suggests Cam Reddish could be appealing in that scenario, with Atlanta getting something of value for helping the deal get done.

The Hawks looked into trading Reddish around draft time, but sources tell Kirschner that no deal was ever imminent. There’s a decent chance Reddish will be eventually be moved, Kirschner adds, but there’s no urgency to deal him right away. Injuries limited Reddish to 26 games last season, but he averaged 12.8 PPG when he returned for the playoff series with the Bucks.

There’s more on the Hawks, all from Kirschner:

Atlanta didn’t receive any legitimate sign-and-trade offers for John Collins before re-signing him for five years at $125MM. Kirschner suggests that the Hawks may have been bidding against themselves by giving Collins that much, but they’re still happy to keep an important part of their starting lineup.
The Hawks are talking to Kevin Huerter about an extension, but Kirschner doesn’t expect anything to be resolved until closer to the start of the season. He believes it’s likely that the team will decide to let Huerter become a restricted free agent, just like it did with Collins, and hope to work out a new contract next summer.
Reddish and De’Andre Hunter will both be eligible for rookie scale extensions next offseason, which will affect the Hawks’ other financial decisions. Kirschner sees Hunter as an ideal backcourt partner for Trae Young, if he can recover from his second meniscus surgery, so he figures to be the Hawks’ priority. Danilo Gallinari only has a $5MM guarantee for 2022/23 in the final year of his contract, so Kirschner expects him to be on the trade market at some point.

Hawks Re-Sign John Collins To Five-Year Deal

August 6th, 2021 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 6: Collins has officially re-signed with the Hawks, the team confirmed today in a press release.

“We have a great appreciation for John and all he provides for our team; he is an incredible team player who brings the type of positive energy and passion that is contagious and impacts winning,” president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk said in a statement. “John is beloved by his teammates, our coaches and our fans and we are happy that he will continue to grow along with our young core.”

Atlanta has now officially locked up its two franchise cornerstones to long-term deals, having also announced Young’s extension on Friday.

AUGUST 4: The Hawks have reached an agreement on a five-year, $125MM deal with restricted free agent John Collins, agents Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The agreement features a fifth-year player option, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Collins, the No. 2 player on our list of this year’s top 50 free agents, has now secured the largest free agent contract of the offseason so far in terms of overall value. Chris Paul (four years, $120MM) and Jarrett Allen (five years, $100MM) are the only other players to crack the nine-figure mark to date, and Paul’s deal reportedly only includes about $75MM in fully guaranteed money.

As I noted on Tuesday when word broke that the Hawks had offered Collins $125MM over five years, the deal represents an increase in terms of both years and dollars on the extension the team reportedly offered the 23-year-old during the 2020 offseason (four years, $90MM+).

It’s still quite a bit shy of the maximum salary Atlanta could have offered ($163MM over five years), but Collins’ options were limited, given the lack of teams with cap room available. The inclusion of a fifth-year player option may also have helped convince him to accept the deal. That will give him the ability to opt out in 2025 at age 27.

Collins, the 19th overall pick in the 2017 draft, averaged 17.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 1.0 BPG on .556/.399/.833 shooting in 63 games (29.3 MPG) for Atlanta in 2020/21. While those numbers were a slight step below the ones he put up in ’19/20, Collins played the role the Hawks asked of him and was a major part of the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Hawks have now made two major commitments this week to lock up a pair of franchise cornerstones. In addition to reaching a deal with Collins, the club also agreed to terms on a five-year, maximum-salary extension for Trae Young, which will go into effect in 2022/23.

Hawks Have Reportedly Offered John Collins Five Years, $125MM

August 3rd, 2021 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have made an offer worth $125MM over five years to restricted free agent big man John Collins, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. That offer has yet to be accepted, Amick adds.

When Collins and the Hawks discussed a contract extension last offseason, Atlanta reportedly made an offer worth about $90MM+ over four years, so this offer represents a bump in terms of both years and dollars. However, it’s still considerably less than the maximum the Hawks could put on the table.

As we outlined earlier today, the maximum 2021/22 salary for a player with fewer than six years of NBA experience – like Collins – who has full Bird rights is $163MM over five years or about $126MM over four years.

As Amick writes, Collins made it clear last year that he views himself as a maximum-salary player, and it seems like he and the Hawks once again have a difference of opinion on his value.

While Collins may continue to wait for the Hawks to increase their offer, his leverage is limited. There’s little cap space remaining around the NBA and there has been no indication that any team that still has room – such as the Thunder – is preparing to make a run at the 23-year-old. Additionally, sources tell Amick that Atlanta wants to retain Collins and isn’t interested in exploring sign-and-trade possibilities.

In other words, it still seems likely that the Hawks and Collins will eventually work something out, but it doesn’t appear a deal is imminent.

Hawks, John Collins Not Yet Close To New Deal

August 2nd, 2021 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

As free agency opens, the Hawks and John Collins aren’t close to an agreement on a new contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link), who reports that there’s no momentum in those talks yet.

Collins is one of the top free agents on the market – he ranked second overall in our top-50 list – but he’s restricted rather than unrestricted, giving the Hawks plenty of leverage in contract negotiations.

While it’s possible another team could swoop in with a big offer sheet for Collins, multiple reports this weekend suggested that his potential suitors were becoming resigned to the idea that he’d likely remain in Atlanta.

That’s still the most probable outcome, even if Collins and the Hawks aren’t ready to come to an agreement right when free agency opens. Collins turned down a four-year, $90MM+ extension offer from Atlanta last offseason and will likely end up reaching a deal worth north of $100MM with the team this week. However, until the two sides reach an agreement, the door is open for something unexpected to happen.

Free Agent Rumors: J. Collins, Lowry, Z. Collins, Forbes, Celtics, More

July 31st, 2021 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest rumor-packed article for Bleacher Report, Jake Fischer echoes a Marc Stein report from Friday, writing that John Collins is viewed as increasingly likely to return to the Hawks despite anticipated interest from the Mavericks and Spurs, among others.

Collins’ new deal may exceed $120MM in total value, Fischer notes, though it’s not clear if that’d be for four years or five. Collins’ projected maximum with Atlanta is about $126MM over four years (or $163MM over five), whereas his max with a new team would be approximately $121MM over four years.

Here are a few other rumors on 2021 free agents, including several more updates from Fischer:

With the Pelicans, Mavericks, and Heat all expected to make a strong push for Kyle Lowry, the point’s guard ultimate landing spot could come down to which team includes the most guaranteed money in the third year of its offer, says Fischer.
The Raptors, Pelicans, Thunder, and Spurs are among the teams known to have interest in big man Zach Collins, sources tell Fischer. Collins isn’t getting a qualifying offer from Portland, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.
The Nets may be the leading candidates to sign free agent sharpshooter Bryn Forbes, according to Fischer, who also names the Bulls, Cavaliers, Mavericks, and Pelicans as teams to watch.
Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link) hears that the Celtics have a list of about seven or eight top free agent targets, including veteran Spurs guard Patty Mills.
Otto Porter‘s representatives have been targeting a mid-level type contract for their client, but that’s probably a long shot unless a front office bids against itself, says J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter links). The veteran forward is coming off a four-year, $106MM+ deal.
The Nuggets are expected to add a backup center in free agency, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, who tweets that a new deal with JaVale McGee is one possibility to address that spot.

Stein’s Latest: Simmons, Lowry, Raptors, Rockets, Theis

July 30th, 2021 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein reported that the Jazz are preparing a contract offer in the three-year, $75MM range for free agent point guard Mike Conley and said teams with interest in Hawks big man John Collins were growing increasingly pessimistic about landing him.

In his full Substack newsletter, Stein reiterates those points, noting that Collins seems intent on re-signing with the Hawks, and shares a handful of other tidbits related to free agency and the trade market. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Stein dismisses rumors that the Sixers might be becoming more open to a trade structured around Ben Simmons and Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, describing that idea as “ill-founded.” If Philadelphia is going to make a deal with Portland, Damian Lillard will be the target, says Stein. The 76ers, who aren’t inclined to do the Blazers any favors in their efforts to convince Lillard to remain in Portland, continue to insist they’re not in a rush to resolve the Simmons situation, Stein adds.
Kyle Lowry is the top free agent target for the Heat, Mavericks, and Pelicans, according to Stein, who wonders if the point guard’s close relationship with Jimmy Butler might give Miami a recruiting advantage once free agency begins.
Some rival teams believe the Raptors may become more willing to pursue a Pascal Siakam trade after drafting Scottie Barnes fourth overall on Thursday, per Stein.
There was “considerable chatter” leading up to the draft that veteran center Daniel Theis will be one of the Rockets‘ top priorities in free agency, says Stein. It’s not clear if Houston’s selection of Alperen Sengun in Thursday’s draft changes the team’s frontcourt plans at all.