John Collins

Hawks Notes: Collins, Capela, Young

June 12th, 2020 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

One of 24 players who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the abridged 2020 offseason, Hawks big man John Collins said today that he’s “in good hopes and good spirits” that the two sides will be able to work something out (Twitter link via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic).

Collins has said multiple times in recent months that he feels as if he’s worthy of a maximum-salary contract or something close to it on his next deal. However, he suggested today that he’ll also prioritize getting something done ahead of his fourth year rather than waiting until 2021 — perhaps even if it means taking a little less.

“I would always want to get it done now than later,” Collins said, per Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). “… I feel like that’s just natural, human nature. For me, security-wise and going forth I could say a million reasons why I want to get it done now, but I would always rather it be sooner than later, so sooner. This summer.”

If Collins and the Hawks don’t reach an agreement this offseason, it would put him on track for restricted free agency in 2021. He’ll almost certainly be in line for a big payday either way, but if he’s looking for security, he may follow in the footsteps of last year’s group of rookie scale extension candidates — nine of those players signed offseason extensions in 2019, with Brandon Ingram and Malik Beasley among the only legit candidates for new contracts who didn’t get them.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

Speaking today to reporters, including Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link), veteran center Clint Capela said his heel – plagued by plantar fasciitis during the season – feels “way, way better.” Although Capela feels as if the injury has healed, he won’t be able to definitively say he’s 100% until he’s able to do 5-on-5 work, Kirschner adds.
In a mailbag for The Athletic, Kirschner explores the idea of the Hawks attempting to make a “consolidation trade” for a star, identifies some possible offseason free agent targets, and addresses a handful of other topics.
In the wake of the NBA’s decision not to include the Hawks in plans to restart the 2019/20 campaign, Trae Young is using Atlanta’s exclusion as fuel heading into next year, as Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. “Getting this time off is really motivating all of us to not be in this position again next year,” Young said.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

John Collins Talks Capela, Contract, Hawks’ Potential

May 14th, 2020 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

A dark-horse playoff sleeper entering the 2019/20 season, the Hawks failed to take a step forward, entering the NBA’s hiatus with a 20-47 record. A 25-game drug-related suspension for big man John Collins early in the season contributed to Atlanta digging an early hole for itself, which it couldn’t climb out of after Collins’ return.

With an eye toward the 2020/21 campaign, however, Collins tells Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Hawks aren’t “as far away as you think” from turning the corner, expressing optimism about the team’s short- and long-term potential.

“This is just to me, with the roster moves, with the experience that we have gained and are going to gain over the summer, and chemistry,” Collins said. “I keep on hearing us being talked about as a fringe playoff team (for next season), and I just want to start pushing our team and our discussion in the mental spaces of people as a playoff contender every year.”

By the time the ’20/21 season gets underway, the Hawks are hoping to have a healthy Clint Capela in their lineup. They’re also on track to add another top-eight draft pick to their roster and will have plenty of flexibility to add veteran talent this offseason — no NBA team projects to have more cap room than Atlanta. Throw in the fact that Collins, Trae Young, and the rest of the Hawks’ youngsters will be another year older, and some optimism is justified.

During his conversation with Spencer, which is worth checking out in full, Collins addressed several other topics, including his new frontcourt partner and his contract situation. Here are some highlights:

On his fit with Capela:

“I’m pretty versatile, so I feel (like) for the people who don’t watch, when they do watch, it’s like ‘OK, John can stretch the floor. Oh wow, John and Clint can play well (together).’ Clint’s still doing his thing rolling and playing above the rim, and I’m still playing above the rim, because we have elite play-makers out there on the court… Clint fits right in to what we do, so it’s not like he comes in and messes anything up on my end.”

On Collins’ next contract (he’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason):

“When we’re talking max numbers and money, I feel like I definitely (am in) the conversation to have earned that money with the Hawks specifically, but obviously I know there’s business and we don’t always get exactly what we want. But I want to be a Hawk, I want to stay with the Hawks.”

On whether it’s important that he signs an extension this year rather than waiting until restricted free agency in 2021 to get a new deal:

“I feel like we’ve both invested ourselves in each other… I feel like we both want to see our investments in each other pay off. In that sense, I just want to know where I am. I want to know I’m locked in as soon as I can rather than having to wait, which I know happens. But when you do wait, a lot of other stuff mentally creeps in during the season while I’m tired, while I’m playing, ups and downs, injuries, but that’s also a part of just being a pro athlete.”

Southeast Notes: Dragic, Leonard, Wizards, Hawks

April 23rd, 2020 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

After starting all but 15 of his previous 487 regular season games since 2012, Goran Dragic was caught off guard when Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra asked him last season about coming off the bench on a permanent basis in 2019/20, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel relays.

“As soon as I heard this, I was a little bit in shock, you know,” Dragic said during an Instagram Live appearance this week. “Shocked. Mad. It was full of emotions going through my head.”

Admitting the idea was “really hard to accept,” Dragic said that he eventually came to terms with it and tried to turn it into a positive, aiming to be one of the NBA’s very best sixth men. It has been an effective lineup change for the Heat, who had been having their best season since Dragic joined the club in 2015. The veteran point guard, meanwhile, was enjoying a nice bounce-back season, with 16.1 PPG and 5.1 APG in his reserve role.

“At the end of the day, I think that was a great change for me, for my career,” Dragic said, per Winderman. “And I’m really happy how I responded — to the players, to Coach Spo, to the trainers. They always stood next to me and helped me. The only thing I had to do was embrace that role and I did it.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

In his own Instagram Live appearance this week, Heat center Meyers Leonard spoke about getting comfortable in Miami after seven years in Portland, adding that he continues to rehab the ankle injury that had sidelined him before the NBA’s hiatus. “I’m feeling much, much better,” Leonard told Heat TV host Jason Jackson, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. “Obviously, I had an injury there right before the season was suspended. And it was bad. I think most people were aware of that. But I’m always incredibly, incredibly focused and I take a very professional approach. So I guess if there’s a silver lining for Meyers Leonard, I’ve had more time to rehab and the rehab’s been very good.”
As the Wizards prepare for the draft and free agency, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington explores the team’s biggest needs, naming rim protection and perimeter defense as areas the team must improve. Hughes also suggests it could make sense to target a high-ceiling player in the draft, something GM Tommy Sheppard mentioned as a possibility earlier in April.
In a conversation with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, former NBA executive Seth Partnow says that he’d be wary of offering a maximum-salary extension to John Collins this offseason if he were running the Hawks. Partnow would be comfortable with a deal in the four-year, $80MM range, which may not be enough to lock up Collins before he reaches restricted free agency in 2021.

Southeast Notes: Waiters, Capela, Hornets, Beal

April 20th, 2020 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

After declining to comment on it earlier in the season, former Heat guard Dion Waiters has published a Players’ Tribune article in which he addresses the incident on the team flight in November that led to a 10-game suspension. Waiters reportedly experienced a medical episode on the flight after consuming a “gummy,” an edible form of marijuana.

In his Players’ Tribune piece, Waiters took responsibility for the incident, calling it “idiotic” on his part.

“What’s crazy is, my whole life I been a leader. I’m not a follower,” Waiters wrote. “(Heat president) Pat (Riley) knows me. He knows I don’t do drugs. But sometimes when you’re going through dark times, you can fall trap to things you’d never do in your right mind.”

While Waiters took responsibility for what did happen on the flight, he adamantly denied one detail that showed up in some reports following the incident.

“I never had a seizure,” Waiters said. “Ask the doctors. Ask my Heat teammates. They can speak on it. For that b.s. to come out, it ain’t right. I made a mistake, but for someone to leak that, and for my family to hear it? S–t. It ain’t right.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

In a conversation with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Hawks center Clint Capela spoke about the experience of being traded, his expectations for next season, and his foot issues — the big man said he’s feeling healthier, but is still unsure if he’ll play if the season resumes in June or July. Capela also expressed optimism about his fit alongside John Collins: “I think we’re going to do well. I think we’re good enough to really figure out how to be efficient at what we do. He can shoot 3s and do other stuff. I think we can figure this out.”
Roderick Boone and John Hollinger of The Athletic take an in-depth look at the Hornets‘ future, with Hollinger suggesting that the team missed a chance to kickstart its rebuild by not trading Kemba Walker before he reached free agency. While there are fewer impediments on their cap than there were a year ago, Hollinger thinks the Hornets may still be a lottery team for a few more seasons.
Bradley Beal wasn’t always a vocal leader for the Wizards, but he has turned into one in recent years. Fred Katz of The Athletic explores how that happened.

Hawks Rumors: Pierce, Bembry, FAs, Collins

March 20th, 2020 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

In a look at some of the offseason questions that the Hawks will have to address later this year, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic points to head coach Lloyd Pierce‘s job status as one of those unanswered questions. As Kirschner explains, Pierce has done a good job developing Atlanta’s young players, but there are other factors that could impact his job security.

For one, star guard Trae Young hasn’t always been on the same page with Pierce, according to Kirschner, who suggests the All-Star guard has disagreed with some coaching decisions and didn’t love Pierce’s comments about Young not being named a finalist for Team USA’s roster. Sources with knowledge of the Hawks star’s thinking “have confirmed that his relationship with Pierce isn’t strong,” Kirschner writes.

Some Hawks players have also questioned Pierce’s in-game decisions and rotations. According to Kirschner, one player even offered the following assessment when discussing those decisions: “It’s almost as if we actually are tanking on purpose.”

Here are some other subjects that Kirschner touches on in his story for The Athletic:

DeAndre’ Bembry has been a personal favorite of Pierce’s, but he may have played his last game for the Hawks, according to Kirschner, who hears from sources that the RFA-to-be was “readily available” leading up to the trade deadline.
Kirschner is also skeptical that Jeff Teague or Damian Jones, who will be free agents this offseason, will be back with Atlanta in 2020/21. However, he believes Skal Labissiere is a candidate to be re-signed, despite not yet playing a game for the Hawks, since the recently-acquired big man has long been a favorite of GM Travis Schlenk.
If the 2019/20 season doesn’t resume, the Hawks won’t get a chance to evaluate the on-court fit between Clint Capela and John Collins before the latter becomes extension-eligible, and Kirsher thinks it’ll be hard for the team to offer Collins a massive long-term deal without having seen whether that frontcourt pairing works.
Given the lack of a clear-cut hierarchy at the top of this year’s draft, Kirschner speculates that the Hawks would be open to trading down or trying to trade that pick for an impact player, even if they were to land the No. 1 selection. Schlenk showed a willingness to move down in 2018, passing on the chance to select Luka Doncic.

John Collins Believes He’s In “Max Contract Contention”

March 10th, 2020 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are facing an important decision this summer on whether to give a rookie-scale extension to John Collins. In a lengthy interview with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the third-year power forward says he believes he’s worth the investment.

“I mean, I feel like I am a priority to the Hawks in terms of my value in the young core,” Collins said. “I feel like that’s no question. Priority in terms of — I don’t know. I definitely feel like I am a priority to them. For a lot of money? I just don’t know personally. I feel like it’s been a unique situation, but I feel like my play has garnered a bigger contract. This is when you want to start comparing, but it’s just a matter of if they’re going to reciprocate the respect back.

“I definitely feel like I am in max contract contention. If I finish this season averaging 20 and 10, the other guys who are averaging 20 and 10 are max-caliber guys. I’m in that conversation and feel like I am worthy of being extended as such. That’s for the Hawks to decide and figure it out. If you want to look at numbers and flat-out play, I definitely feel like I’ve earned it. But the team situation, future cap and all that, now you have a contract negotiation.”

Kirschner estimates Collins’ value somewhere between the $77MM extension that the Pacers gave Domantas Sabonis and the maximum-salary extension Pascal Siakam received from the Raptors. Sources tell Kirschner there’s a belief around the league that the Hawks are hesitant to make that kind of commitment to Collins, which is why they received inquiries about him prior to the trade deadline.

There’s not much question about Collins’ on-court value, as he’s putting together his best season, averaging 21.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per night. He has also improved as a 3-point shooter, connecting on 41.1% from long distance. However, he was suspended for 25 games early in the season for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program, sinking any playoff hopes Atlanta might have entertained.

Collins said he won’t be insulted if the Hawks decide against making a full max offer, but his “antennas would be up, for sure.” The team has the option of holding off on an extension and trying to re-sign him as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021. The Hawks also could decide to avoid the decision by trading him, just as they did with Taurean Prince last year.

“I hope they slide me that sheet of paper,” Collins said. “That’s what I’ve been working towards. I’ve been trying to be a face of the franchise. To be that person and to be that face is what I’ve been working towards. That’s what I want. That’s what I’ve been trying to earn and trying to show them that I am worthy of it. I hope my work and what I’m going to try to continue to do is going to be reciprocated, and they can show that they’ve bought into me. And then I’m going to try to go to a whole other level and live up to that contract.”

Hawks Notes: Dedmon, Labissiere, Collins, Goodwin

February 10th, 2020 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

After engaging with the Kings earlier in the season about a possible Dewayne Dedmon trade, the Hawks didn’t necessarily expect to circle back to those discussions at last week’s trade deadline, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, who says the team felt no real pressure to acquire another center following the Clint Capela trade.

However, Sacramento got back in touch and general manager Travis Schlenk saw an opportunity to land a player he liked, along with a couple second-round draft picks.

“They came in last minute,” Schlenk said of the Kings, per Kirschner. “The way the deal came together was we anticipated Jabari (Parker) was going to probably opt in (to his $6.5MM player option for 2020/21), so we weren’t going to be taking on that much money (by adding Dedmon’s $13.3MM salary for ’20/21).

“Now you’re taking on only $6MM, and we got two seconds. That’s really what drove us. I don’t want to say that we weren’t looking to do it when it came around, but we jumped at the opportunity because it was a small value money-wise, and we got two assets in it.”

Dedmon, who played well for the Hawks before signing with the Kings during the 2019 offseason, struggled in Sacramento and lost his starting role early in the season. According to Kirschner, there’s a belief in Atlanta that the big man was so unhappy with the Kings that it affected him on the court. Atlanta will rely on Dedmon and Capela to help improve an interior defense that has struggled this season.

Let’s round up a few more Hawks notes…

Schlenk had been eyeing Skal Labissiere since his days working as an assistant GM in Golden State, says Kirschner. The Hawks were able to acquire Labissiere from Portland on deadline day in what was essentially a salary dump, but it sounds as if the team will have interest in keeping him beyond this season if he looks good down the stretch. The big man can become a restricted free agent this summer.
John Collins‘ name popped up in trade rumors leading up to the deadline and there was speculation that the Hawks may start looking to move on from the former first-rounder if they acquired an impact center. However, Schlenk downplayed that notion, as Kirschner details. “John has been playing with Damian (Jones) all year,” Schlenk said. “His skill set is the same (as Clint’s). John has been playing with Bruno (Fernando) all year long. This isn’t the first time that John has played with another center. I think the public is making a lot more out of it than we are.”
Asked directly if Collins is considered is still considered a priority for the Hawks’ long-term future, Schlenk responded, “Yeah. John is one of our best players.”
The Hawks’ deadline moves left them with an open spot on their 15-man roster. According to Kirschner (via Twitter), one option being considered is promoting two-way player Brandon Goodwin to a standard contract. Goodwin has averaged 6.9 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 24 games (13.9 MPG) for Atlanta this season.

Hawks Rumors: Collins, Drummond, Adams, Parker

February 4th, 2020 at 4:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Both the Rockets and Nets have specifically expressed interest in Hawks big man John Collins recently, a league source tells Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. However, teams that have talked to Atlanta have been left with the impression that the team won’t move Collins unless it gets an offer it can refuse.

According to Kirschner, Houston wanted Collins as part of a Clint Capela trade as a younger, cheaper replacement, which presumably was a non-starter for the Hawks. Kirschner suggests Spencer Dinwiddie was mentioned in talks with the Nets, but says it’s not clear whether those discussions went anywhere.

Collins will be eligible for a rookie scale extension for the first time this offseason, and multiple league sources tell Kirschner that he’s expected to seek a max or near-max deal. If the Hawks decide that price is too rich, they could revisit the trade market, but for now, the big man isn’t being shopped at all. It’s “highly unlikely” that Atlanta moves any member of its young core – including Collins – at this Thursday’s deadline, tweets Sarah K. Spencer of The Athletic.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

A league source tells Kirschner that Andre Drummond made it clear the Hawks would have been a preferred landing spot if the Pistons trade him. Atlanta opted against giving up Brooklyn’s 2020 first-round pick in a deal for Drummond, and aren’t expected to re-engage this week, though the team could circle back to the big man in free agency, Kirschner writes.
Steven Adams has also been cited as a probable Hawks target, but a source with knowledge of the Thunder‘s thinking believes Adams is unlikely to be moved at the deadline, according to Kirschner.
Jabari Parker, who hasn’t played since January 3 due to a right shoulder impingement, is a trade candidate but will remain sidelined through the deadline. As Spencer tweets, the Hawks announced today that Parker is doing non-contact work and will be re-evaluated in one week.

O’Connor’s Latest: Capela, Covington, D-Lo, Nets, More

February 4th, 2020 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets, Hawks, and Timberwolves recently discussed a three-team trade that would have sent Robert Covington to Houston, Clint Capela to Atlanta, and Brooklyn’s 2020 first-round pick (from Atlanta) to Minnesota, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

As O’Connor explains, the Timberwolves’ goal would have been to use that Brooklyn first-rounder as part of a trade package for D’Angelo Russell. According to O’Connor, Minnesota was willing to include its own 2020 first-round pick in that offer too, but the Warriors turned them down, putting those three-team talks on hold.

We don’t know exactly what protections the Timberwolves might have wanted to put on their pick, or what contract(s) they wanted the Warriors to take on in that offer for Russell, but it’s still worth noting that Golden State declined an offer featuring multiple first-rounders. While the Dubs are reportedly open to listening to inquiries on D-Lo, their asking price is high, and it appears they’d be happy to wait until the offseason to revisit Russell’s trade market, if necessary.

Here’s more from O’Connor:

The Warriors‘ price tag on Russell is one reason the Timberwolves‘ asking price for Covington is so high, O’Connor writes. O’Connor also adds the Nuggets to the list of teams with interest in Covington, though he acknowledges that interest is “minimal,” suggesting the Rockets and Sixers are more serious suitors.
The Rockets and Hawks have had some discussions about Capela without the Timberwolves‘ involvement, per O’Connor.
The Rockets offered Capela to the Nets in a deal that would have included Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince, league sources tell O’Connor. We’ve heard Houston wants to get a wing and another big man for Capela, so the ask makes sense, but it’s not a surprise that Brooklyn turned it down.
The Hawks are believed to be wary about investing $20MM+ per year in John Collins on his next contract, preferring a less expensive center like Capela or Tristan Thompson, sources tell O’Connor. For what it’s worth, Hawks beat writer Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter links) suggests the recent Collins-related rumblings are coming from other teams, not Atlanta.

Woj’s Latest: Love, Bucks, Lakers, Clippers, More

February 3rd, 2020 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN insiders Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks published a pair of podcasts on Sunday examining each of the NBA’s two conferences, breaking down trade possibilities and scenarios for a number of teams.

The two podcasts, which are worth listening to in full, included several interesting notes and tidbits on the trade market, so we’ll pass along several of the highlights right here:

Eastern Conference (full podcast link):

The Cavaliers are resigned to the fact that they likely won’t end up moving Kevin Love by Thursday, per Wojnarowski. Unless something “comes out of nowhere,” Cleveland may end up having to revisit Love’s trade market in the offseason, Woj adds.
Based on how well they’ve played this season, the Bucks will be somewhat “risk-averse” at the deadline, according to Wojnarowski. Although Milwaukee may make a move, the buyout market could be a safer bet for an upgrade around the edges of their roster. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggested today that, given their crowded rotation, the Bucks could use Indiana’s 2020 first-round pick to make “some sort of consolidation trade” if they don’t think it’d disrupt their chemistry.
Wojnarowski is hearing the same thing that Lowe is about Hawks center John Collins — teams have been monitoring him, and Atlanta is in the market a for a center, but it would be a surprise if the club trades Collins at this point.
If the Pistons can get a first-round pick for Andre Drummond, they seem likely pull the trigger. If not, they may have to decide whether it’s worth it to accept expiring contracts and a second-rounder or two, says Wojnarowski.
The Nets are active in trade talks and could make a deal as long as it makes sense for next year’s team, according to Woj and Marks. For what it’s worth, while sources told Lowe that Brooklyn won’t trade players such as Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, or Jarrett Allen for draft picks, Lowe wonders if the Nets will eventually consider a move involving a player like Dinwiddie and LeVert, since the team’s backcourt hasn’t fully meshed when everyone has been healthy this year.

Western Conference (full podcast link):

While the Lakers and Clippers may be active on the trade market, they may not be feeling tremendous pressure to do anything, since they’re expected to be the top two choices for many players on the buyout market, Wojnarowski points out.
Andre Iguodala, for instance, would almost certainly gravitate toward either the Lakers or Clippers if he’s bought out, per Wojnarowski. However, as we’ve heard all season, the Grizzlies remain firm on finding a trade and avoiding a buyout for the former Finals MVP.
Speaking of Iguodala, Wojnarowski says the Rockets tried for “months” to find a way to acquire him, exploring a number of multi-team possibilities. They’ve backed off that pursuit after not finding any viable scenarios
Woj and Marks agree that there’s no pressure on the Thunder to move any of their veteran trade candidates. Lowe made a similar point today, writing that it could make sense to stand pat with guys like Danilo Gallinari, Dennis Schroder, and Steven Adams, who could be traded (or signed-and-traded, in Gallinari’s case) in the summer.

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