John Collins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Blazers Rumors: Beal, LaVine, Bridges, Grant, Collins

June 6th, 2022 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are exploring the trade market in search of veterans who can help Damian Lillard get the team back into the playoffs, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who observes that Portland has a handful of assets in hand to offer up in possible deals.

Besides the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Blazers also have a trade exception worth nearly $21MM, Josh Hart and his team-friendly contract, Eric Bledsoe‘s expiring deal (Bledsoe’s partial guarantee could be increased as needed for salary-matching purposes), future draft picks, and possibly Jusuf Nurkic as a sign-and-trade candidate.

Here’s more from O’Connor on the players Portland could go after this summer:

Sources tell The Ringer that free-agents-to-be Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine are potential Blazers targets, though it’s unclear if they’ll be willing to leave the Wizards and Bulls, respectively, for Portland. Lillard and Beal are friends who played together for Team USA, O’Connor notes.
Hornets restricted free agent forward Miles Bridges is a player worth keeping an eye on for the Blazers, sources tell O’Connor. The team is in the market for a big wing who can help on defense and be a secondary offensive play-maker, and Bridges fits the bill. Again though, it remains to be seen if Portland will be able to pry away Bridges from his current team, especially since Charlotte will be able to match any offer sheet.
Pistons forward Jerami Grant is another two-way wing frequently mentioned as a target for Portland, as O’Connor observes. In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein writes that the Hawks continue to register interest in Grant, but the Blazers would likely be able to outbid Atlanta and other Grant suitors if they’re willing to include the No. 7 pick in their offer.
Hawks big man John Collins is also frequently cited as a player on the Blazers’ radar, according to O’Connor, who suggests Collins would be more of a lob threat – and more versatile defensively – than Nurkic.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Beal, Wizards, Magic

May 25th, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks, who are widely expected to be one of the more active NBA teams this summer, are believed to be open to discussing possible trades involving nearly all the players on their roster, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says rival executives view Trae Young as Atlanta’s only untouchable player.

The Hawks had trade conversations prior to this year’s trade deadline about John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Danilo Gallinari, among others, Fischer notes.

Although Fischer says that restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton has been a “popular rumored target” for the Hawks, he cites multiple league sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking that believe the front office will prioritize adding a wing scorer over a big man.

K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago previously reported that “league gossip” had linked the Hawks to Zach LaVine, a point Fischer reiterates, writing that multiple sources have mentioned Atlanta as a possible destination for LaVine. Since they’ll be well over the cap, the Hawks would likely have to try to work out a sign-and-trade if they get serious about pursuing LaVine.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

After indicating in early March that he’s leaning toward re-signing with the Wizards, Bradley Beal recently suggested his position hasn’t changed. According to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, Beal – who said his recovery from season-ending wrist surgery has gone well – confirmed that he’s still leaning toward remaining in Washington. “This injury also gave me a mental break, a time to evaluate life, and I haven’t changed my mind-set,” Beal said. “I enjoy being in D.C.; I enjoy being on this team.”
In a mailbag for The Athletic, Josh Robbins considers whether or not Wizards fans would embrace a full-fledged rebuild and explores whether the team could trade up from No. 10 in the draft. Of course, if Washington re-signs Beal, it’s a safe bet the team isn’t shifting into rebuilding mode this summer.
The Magic have a history of trading out of the second round of the draft, but they’re expected to use at least one of the No. 32 and No. 35 picks this year, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Price notes that Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams, who has a 7’2″ wingspan despite being just 6’4″, is the type of player the Magic typically like, and he spoke to the team at last week’s combine.

Hawks Notes: Bogdanovic, Draft Workout, Trade Tiers

May 23rd, 2022 at 10:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s lingering knee issue will likely prevent the Hawks wing from participating with the Serbian National Team in the EuroBasket tournament during September, according to MozzartSport.com (hat tip to Eurohoops.net). Bogdanovic, who was limited to 63 regular-season games, played through the pain in the first round of the playoffs, and MozzartSport’s report suggests offseason surgery is a possibility.

We have more on the Hawks:

Atlanta took a look at six draft prospects on Monday, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets. That group included Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), AJ Green (Northern Iowa), Jordan Hall (St. Joe’s), Tyrese Martin (UConn), Baylor Scheierman (South Dakota State/Creighton Commit) and Jaylin Williams (Arkansas). Most are considered marginal second-round prospects.
Trae Young is the lone untouchable on the roster, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic writes as he breaks down the rest of Atlanta’s assets into trade tiers. The Hawks’ list of “splashy trade pieces” includes John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu and all the first-round picks they own.
In case you missed it, the Hawks are one of the teams that have been linked to unrestricted free agent Zach LaVine.

Injury Updates: Simmons, Barnes, Trent, Collins

April 19th, 2022 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Ben Simmons, who continues to recover from a back issue, took contact for the first time on Monday and participated in a 4-on-4 scrimmage, head coach Steve Nash told reporters on Tuesday (link via Steve Popper of Newsday).

“Yesterday was his first day of contact, played with some teammates yesterday,” Nash said. “He’s making progress, but there’s no real update. We’ll just see how he responds and see if he’s able to do more contact tomorrow.”

It’s another positive update for Simmons after ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Shams Charania of The Athletic both referred to him on Monday as “pain-free,” per NetsDaily. The three-time All-Star has been ruled out for Game 2, but it remains possible that he could make his Nets debut later in the first round. A pair of reports last week indicated that Simmons was targeting a return between Games 4 and 6.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Raptors have listed forward Scottie Barnes (ankle) as doubtful for Game 3 on Wednesday, while swingman Gary Trent Jr. (non-COVID illness) has been deemed questionable, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
Hawks big man John Collins is still experiencing pain in his finger and acknowledges he isn’t “at peak physical conditioning,” but he’s hoping to take on a bigger role in Game 2 after playing 21 minutes in his return on Sunday in Game 1, writes Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I feel like I’m as good as I can be right now,” Collins said. “Trying to take all the precautions and all the treatments. Only thing I can do. Obviously, I’m still in some pain. But I feel like everybody’s in some type of pain this time of year, at some point. Mine might be a little bit more than normal, but I’m still trying to do what I can.”
In case you missed it, there’s optimism that Mavericks star Luka Doncic will be able to return in Game 3 or Game 4 vs. Utah.

John Collins Cleared For Playoff Opener

April 17th, 2022 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks forward John Collins will play in today’s Game 1 against the Heat as long as he doesn’t have any issues during warmups, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Collins has been out of action since March 11 with injuries to his right foot and right ring finger.

Collins is still bothered by the pain in his finger, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. It’s difficult for him to grip the ball, sources tell Kirschner, and the injury is affecting his shot.

Collins, who also has been dealing with a sprained right foot and a plantar fascia tear, was upgraded to questionable on Saturday. Atlanta was able to win two play-in games without Collins, but will likely need him on the court to be competitive with top-seeded Miami.

Clint Capela‘s injury in Friday’s game makes Collins’ return even more important. Capela had to be helped to the locker room in the second quarter with a hyperextended right knee and will be sidelined for at least a week. Onyeka Okongwu is among the league’s best backup centers, Kirschner notes, but he’s not in Capela’s class as a rebounder and doesn’t have the same chemistry with Trae Young on the pick-and-roll.

John Collins Will Try To Play In Game 1

April 16th, 2022 at 4:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks forward John Collins will attempt to play in the series opener against the Heat, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Collins, who has been sidelined since March 11 with foot and finger injuries, has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game.

Collins is still dealing with a sprained right foot and plantar fascia tear, along with a sprain to his right ring finger. He was able to participate in some 4-on-4 drills at Thursday’s practice, coach Nate McMillan told Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Injuries have limited Collins to 54 games this season. He is Atlanta’s second-leading scorer at 16.2 PPG and second-leading rebounder at 7.8 RPG.

If Collins can’t return for Game 1, the teams will have just one night off before Tuesday’s Game 2. The series will shift to Atlanta for Game 3 on Friday.

Jarrett Allen To Play On Friday

April 15th, 2022 at 6:05pm CST by Rory Maher

APRIL 15: Allen will make his return and start in the make-or-break matchup to determine the No. 8 seed in the East, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavs will also start Caris LeVert at shooting guard, with Isaac Okoro heading to the bench.

Charania first reported (via Twitter) that Allen would return on Friday, barring a last-minute setback.

APRIL 14: Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, who is officially listed as questionable on the team’s injury report, is going to attempt to return for Cleveland’s play-in game against the Hawks on Friday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski states (via Twitter) that Allen considers the odds of him returning to be “50-50,” as the pain in his fractured left middle finger is still bothering him quite a bit, but he’s intent on helping the Cavs make the playoffs. Allen missed the last 18 games of the regular season and Tuesday’s play-in tournament loss to Brooklyn after sustaining the injury on March 6.

A first-time All-Star in 2021/22, Allen had a stellar season for Cleveland, averaging 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 67.7% from the field and 70.8% from the free throw line. He appeared in 56 games, with an average of 32.3 minutes per contest. The team was just 9-17 in the 26 games Allen missed this season.

Hawks big man John Collins has officially been ruled out for Friday’s game, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Collins has been dealing with a right foot sprain and plantar fascia tear, as well as a right ring finger sprain. He was considered unlikely to play in the matchup to determine the No. 8 seed in the East, so the fact that he has formally been listed as out isn’t surprising.

In other injury-related news for the Hawks, Bogdan Bogdanovic is listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain, while Lou Williams has been ruled out with lower back discomfort, per Kirschner.

Southeast Notes: Collins, Bogdanovic, Wizards, Magic

April 13th, 2022 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have formally ruled out big man John Collins (foot/finger) for Wednesday’s play-in game. And even in the event the team wins that game, Collins is unlikely to play on Friday, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

If the Hawks win both play-in games and earn the No. 8 seed, it’s still possible Collins could play in the club’s first-round series vs. Miami. However, according to Kirschner, while the 24-year-old’s foot has improved, his injured finger remains an issue — he’s still experiencing pain and is unable to grip the basketball.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic spoke to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic about his relationship with Trae Young, his role off the bench, and the team’s postseason potential.
Outside of re-signing Bradley Beal, the Wizards‘ top priority this summer will likely be finding a point guard. However, as Ava Wallace of The Washington Post details, president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said on Tuesday that the team doesn’t feel like it needs to bring in a “high-profile name or high-profile performer,” since Beal, Deni Avdija, and Kristaps Porzingis are also capable of play-making. Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. agreed: “I don’t think you need a guy that’s tasked with having to orchestrate everything. I think that’s a lot to ask for. … You try to find the best talent, the best complementary player for this group.”
Porzingis also shared his thoughts on what the Wizards should be looking for in a point guard, suggesting that the team doesn’t need a ton of scoring from the position, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “I think somebody that can run the offense really well and that is aggressive on the offensive end, but is looking to create for his teammates and to open the game up for everybody else,” Porzingis said.
The Magic finished dead last in the East with a 22-60 record, but they were encouraged by the progress they made this season from a developmental perspective, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. “I know the record doesn’t always show what’s grown and progressed, but this group of young men stayed together,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “There’s been a spirit on the court every single night and that’s just going to turn up another level as we walk into next year. Our guys are excited about it and the fans should be extremely excited about it because they see the way in which these young men play for one another and battle no matter what’s happening.”
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman agreed with Mosley’s assessment, telling Mike Bianchi during an appearance on FM 96.9 The Game’s Open Mike that the club “accomplished a lot of our goals” in 2021/22. Dan Savage of OrlandoMagic.com passes along several more of Weltman’s comments from that interview, including his thoughts on Mohamed Bamba‘s upcoming free agency.

Injury Updates: Doncic, Allen, Kennard, Collins, Niang

April 12th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks put out a press release on Tuesday formally confirming that Luka Doncic is dealing with a strained left calf and announcing there’s no timetable for his return.

Dallas won’t have to officially list Doncic on the injury report until Friday, so the club will likely continue to be cagey about his availability for Game 1 vs. Utah. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd declined to offer any specifics on Tuesday, offering coy responses about Doncic’s ability to practice and the possibility that he’ll play on Saturday, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

For what it’s worth, Kidd said multiple times that Doncic is “in great spirits,” while Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie offered a positive assessment of his teammate’s status (Twitter link via Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News): “He seemed solid to me. I mean, he don’t seem like a guy that’s going to miss too much time, if any.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Cavaliers have officially listed Jarrett Allen (finger) as out for Tuesday’s play-in game vs. Brooklyn. An earlier report suggested there’s some hope that Allen would be able to play on Friday if Cleveland loses tonight.
Clippers sharpshooter Luke Kennard (hamstring) had been officially listed as questionable for Tuesday’s play-in game, but he didn’t make the trip to Minnesota, according to head coach Tyronn Lue (Twitter link via Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times).
Hawks big man John Collins, out since March 11 due to finger and foot injuries, played some 4-on-4 over the weekend, but head coach Nate McMillan isn’t sure whether he’ll be available for Wednesday’s play-in game vs. Charlotte, writes Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He’s been moving a lot more, and today was pretty much shooting. … We’ll see tomorrow,” McMillan said on Tuesday. “We’ll see how he feels after the weekend of play and what he went through today.”
After missing the last two games of the regular season with a knee issue, Sixers forward Georges Niang was able to practice on Tuesday and should be ready for Game 1 on Saturday, head coach Doc Rivers told reporters, including Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Southeast Notes: F. Wagner, Hornets, Bridges, Collins

April 1st, 2022 at 8:25pm CST by Rory Maher

Franz Wagner has had a stellar first season for the Magic, and Josh Cohen of the team’s website makes the case that Wagner deserves Rookie of the Year consideration. Wagner holds the season-high scoring mark in an individual game for rookies with 38, along with several other benchmarks.

Through 77 games this season, the 6’9″ forward is averaging 15.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists on .468/.357/.863 shooting in 31.5 minutes per night. If he stays above 46% from the field (which is a basically a lock) and is able to convert four more three-pointers, Wagner will join Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum as the third rookie ever to score at least 1,000 points and make 100 threes while shooting 46-plus percent from the floor, per Cohen.

One of the 20-year-old’s notable statistics has been his durability, as he’s one of just six players to appear in every game this season (Kevon Looney, Deni Avdija, Mikal Bridges, Dwight Powell and Saddiq Bey are the others). Unfortunately, he rolled his left ankle in Friday’s game against Toronto (video link via Kobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel) and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, the Magic’s PR department announced (via Twitter). Hopefully he’ll be able to finish out the season strong and accomplish the feat.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

The Hornets have clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, but they have their sights set on loftier goals, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays. “We can’t be content — we haven’t done s—,” Kelly Oubre said. “So we’ve got to continue to work, stay humble and continue to grind and create our own narrative for the future and establish ourselves in an area for sure that is in the winning light. So we’ve got to continue to stay hungry and stay humble.”
Within the same article, Boone notes that Miles Bridges apparently still holds some resentment that the Knicks didn’t select him in the 2018 draft. The Knicks selected Kevin Knox at No. 9, while Bridges fell to the Hornets at No. 12. “There’s a lot of history between me and the Knicks’ organization, going back to draft day,” Bridges said. “So every time I come in, I want to make a point of why they should have drafted me back then. I just try to be aggressive every time I come here and show them what I can do and it’s been working out.” Bridges has scored 30-plus points in each of his last three appearances in New York, including 31 on 11-of-15 shooting in the team’s 125-114 victory Wednesday. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.
John Collins still hasn’t returned to basketball activity for the Hawks, Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Collins is progressing in his rehab from a mid-foot sprain and plantar fascia tear, as well as a sprained finger, and his return to action will depend on his follow-up appointments with medical specialists.