John Collins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jae Crowder: “I’d Do It All Over Again”

March 2nd, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Jae Crowder has no regrets about his holdout in Phoenix or the months of missed games as he waited for a trade to be completed, telling Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, “I’d do it all over again.”

The Bucks had been considered among the favorites to land Crowder, but they weren’t able to work out a deal directly with the Suns. After Phoenix agreed to ship Crowder to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant trade, Milwaukee offered draft assets to the Nets and everything was folded into a four-team deal.

The Bucks were thrilled to finally obtain Crowder, and they see him filling the defensive specialist role that P.J. Tucker did during their championship run in 2021. He has fit in seamlessly so far, averaging 19.3 minutes off the bench as Milwaukee has gone 4-0 since he has arrived.

“I think this team has what it takes to win a championship,” Crowder said. “That’s my main goal right now. I think once you win a championship, the rest of that stuff will take care of itself. My main goal, honestly, is not thinking about free agency or the summer. It’s all about winning the championship. I think that’s our locker room goal, and when I came into it, I knew that was the goal of the team.”

Crowder’s relationship with the Suns was reportedly damaged beyond repair when head coach Monty Williams informed him last offseason that he would no longer be a starter. Crowder refused to report to training camp, opting for individual workouts twice each day while he waited for a trade to materialize.

Sources tell Scotto that even when Cameron Johnson tore his meniscus in November, Crowder never considered returning to the Suns and the team didn’t discuss asking him to come back.

“Nah, there wasn’t a chance I was going to play there,” Crowder said. “Both sides knew that the road had come to an end. That came to an end way before Cam got hurt. I wasn’t going back on it, and they weren’t going back on it.”

Phoenix received offers for Crowder from several teams, Scotto adds. The Hawks, Rockets and Suns had exploratory discussions that would have sent Crowder to Atlanta along with Landry Shamet, while Eric Gordon and Kenyon Martin Jr. would have gone to Phoenix and John Collins would have wound up in Houston, but Scotto’s sources say that deal was never close to being completed.

Scotto adds that the Hawks also attempted to acquire Crowder and Shamet in a three-way trade that would have included the Jazz, but a disagreement over the draft picks Utah would have received prevented the teams from making progress. Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley would have gone to the Suns in that version of the deal.

Hawks Notes: Collins, Young, McMillan, Timing

February 26th, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks forward John Collins has cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol, but he’s still being affected by another injury. The 25-year-old is dealing with lower back tightness and was initially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. Brooklyn, according to Hawks reporter Brad Rowland (Twitter links).

However, Collins went through warm-ups unscathed and is available this afternoon, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Through 50 games (31.1 MPG) in 2022/23, Collins is averaging 13.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.2 BPG on .506/.248/.813 shooting splits. Trade deadline acquisition Saddiq Bey, who started in Collins’ place during Friday’s victory over Cleveland, was moved back to a reserve role.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

Trae Young spoke to the media for the first time on Friday following former coach Nate McMillan‘s dismissal. While their relationship may not have been perfect, Young says he was surprised by the timing of the move and has “nothing but love and respect” for McMillan, as Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. “I was waking up from a nap and heard about it,” Young said. “And it was surprising to me. I mean, the timing and stuff, right now. But obviously, I know what this league is and Nate knows. We’ve talked since then and had a conversation and stuff like that. So, I got nothing but love and respect for Nate and the type of person he is, and things like that. So it’s not the last time me and him are going to talk. I mean I talk to all my coaches that I’ve played for. So, that’s what I was expressing to him, and I appreciated him for, I mean, being a part of that run that took us in this franchise further than it’s been. So, he should get a lot of love for that alone (and) for what he’s done for us and his team and this organization. So I got nothing but love for him, and it’s a tough situation. But, it’s part of this league, and I got nothing but love for him.”
There had been rumblings about the Hawks moving on from McMillan in the offseason and a report that he had considered resigning himself, so the news wasn’t totally unexpected. Still, as Young alluded to, the timing of the firing seemed to catch many within the organization off guard, ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently said on his Lowe Post podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “I think a lot of people within that team, players, coaches, staff were blindsided by 23 games to go at the end of the All-Star break,” Lowe said. “‘… We’re pulling the trigger now on this?’“
In case you missed it, the Hawks have reportedly offered their head coaching job to former Jazz coach Quin Snyder, and the two sides are said to be nearing a deal.

Hawks Notes: Accountability, Collins, Coaching Change, Young

February 23rd, 2023 at 8:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward John Collins showed appreciation for Nate McMillan, who was recently dismissed as head coach, but said his coaching may have been better served on a veteran team rather than a relatively young one like the Hawks, according to Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required).

“I feel like everybody isn’t going to be on board with all of anyone’s decisions, but I’m saying more so in terms of what Nate was asking from us as a group and where we are mentally, professionally, in years and experience,” Collins said. “It just kind of creates a divide of the expectation versus where we are, what we have developed to as young players. So I feel like he’s a little bit more suited for just guys who are older, understand the game. Whereas the young team, we need guidance. And I feel like we need a different kind of guidance. Hopefully, our new coach can come in and bring us that spark.”

He believes player development should be a point of emphasis for the new coach. However, Collins also said the players need to do a much better job at holding each other accountable.

“I feel like we’re all young. We want to develop into the best players we can be,” Collins said. “So, you know, what we do before and after games and just being held accountable to a certain standard. We just need to grow up mentally. I feel like we’re talented, we’re extremely talented in a lot of aspects with the basketball and what we do on the court. But in terms of leadership, togetherness, the brotherhood, the culture we have here, that’s where we need to grow and hold each other accountable. Just making sure we’re mentally locked in in the right areas to succeed on the court.”

Collins then expanded on how the players can become better leaders, per Burns.

“Being held accountable in all aspects, whether it’s from the organization to the players to the training staff, weight room,” Collins said. “I feel like that’s where you start is holding people accountable to not only their job, but their expectations as men on this team. It’s the NBA. We’re not in college anymore. We’re not in high school. We were expected to come in here and be men and try to win basketball games.

“So I try to do what I can, but it takes a village. It’s not one guy. Everybody has to hold everybody accountable, as well as me being able to be held accountable by my teammates and by my staff. So it’s delicate. It’s not just something that, you know, is magic, but that’s where it starts.”

Here’s more on the Hawks:

Collins remains in the NBA’s concussion protocol and will be out Friday versus Cleveland, tweets Hawks reporter Brad Rowland. Collins was involved in a collision last Wednesday against New York and was later diagnosed with a concussion.
All eyes will be on Trae Young over the coming weeks, months and into next season, according to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic, who notes that Young has now had well-known differences with two coaches who were subsequently let go in fewer than five seasons. Schultz asked Hawks GM Landry Fields about the topic. “Whenever you see that in the past, those are definitely areas you want to maintain a focus on,” Fields said. “But for us, it’s not a huge concern and to place any emphasis on Trae in these matters is totally unfair to him, in my opinion.” Schultz believes Young needs to make drastic improvements as a leader, and suggests Collins’ comments about accountability could be pointed at Young, though Collins declined to provide names.
Young had an excused absence for the past two days, which is why wasn’t around for media availability, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Young later sent out a tweet saying that he was dealing with a family medical issue.
In case you missed it, the Hawks are reportedly targeting Quin Synder to replace McMillan. The details are here.

Hawks’ John Collins Enters Concussion Protocol

February 18th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks forward John Collins has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol, the team announced today.

Collins exited Wednesday’s game vs. New York after a collision and was reevaluated on Thursday, revealing the concussion. According to the Hawks, Collins will be monitored daily and his status will be updated when appropriate.

Through 50 games (31.1 MPG) in 2022/23, the six-year veteran is averaging 13.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.2 BPG. While his percentages on two-pointers (62.4%) and free throws (81.3%) are above his career marks, his three-point percentage is a career-low 24.8%. Collins dealt with a right ring finger injury last season, which may still be affecting his outside shot — his previous low mark over a full season was 34.0%.

The Hawks don’t play again until next Friday, so there’s a good chance Collins will be ready to go by then. If he does end up missing more time, trade deadline acquisition Saddiq Bey is a candidate to receive more minutes.

Atlanta is currently 29-30, the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Wiseman To Pistons, Bey To Hawks, Payton To Warriors In Four-Team Deal

February 9th, 2023 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:01pm: The trade is now official, the Hawks announced in a press release. According to Atlanta’s announcement, three of the five second-round picks the team is sending out in the deal are going to Portland, while the other two are going to Golden State. Here’s the breakdown:

To the Blazers:

Either the Hawks’, Nets’, or Hornets’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable).
The Hawks’ 2024 second-round pick (the Hawks previously traded this pick to Portland with top-55 protection; those protections are now removed).
The Hawks’ 2025 second-round pick (protected 41-60).
- Note: Portland will receive this pick if it’s between 31-40 and Oklahoma City will receive it if it’s between 41-60 (based on a prior trade).

To the Warriors:

The Hawks’ 2026 second-round pick.
The Hawks’ 2028 second-round pick.

The Blazers are still receiving five second-rounders in total, however. According to the Warriors’ own press release announcing the deal, they’ve sent two other second-round picks to Portland. Those picks are the Grizzlies’ 2026 second-rounder (top-42 protected) and the Warriors’ own 2028 second-rounder.

1:55pm: The trade is being expanded further, according to Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Warriors are sending five second-round picks and Knox to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Gary Payton II.

It’s unclear if those are the same five second-rounders Golden State is getting from the Hawks, but the Warriors are essentially trading out Wiseman and getting back Payton, who was a key rotation player on last season’s championship team.

Interestingly, the Warriors just faced the Blazers last night, getting an up-close look at the defensive stalwart, who will now rejoin Golden State. Payton signed a three-year, $26.1MM deal with Portland in the offseason, but has only appeared in 15 games in 2022/23 — he was slow to recover from abdominal surgery.

In addition to getting back a player they’re very familiar with, the Warriors will also save a good chunk of money toward the luxury tax over the next two seasons, as Payton’s cap hit is smaller than Wiseman’s.

1:34pm: Kevin Knox is headed from Detroit to Golden State in the trade for salary-matching purposes, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Knox isn’t a lock to remain with the Warriors, Woj notes.

1:04pm: The Pistons will acquire James Wiseman from the Warriors in a three-team trade that will send Saddiq Bey to the Hawks, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Golden State will get five second-round picks from Atlanta in the deal, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).

Detroit needs to send out another $2.5MM to match salaries, so at least one more player will be involved in the deal, tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), the Warriors also had Wiseman discussions with the Trail Blazers and Spurs. The Pistons and Hawks discussed a separate deal involving John Collins, but sources tell Fischer that those talks have stalled.

Reports that the Pistons and Warriors were discussing a deal involving Wiseman broke earlier this afternoon. Detroit has been interested in the 21-year-old center since the 2020 draft, and Golden State was willing to move on from a player who never lived up to expectations after being the second overall pick.

He has appeared in just 21 games this season after sitting out all of 2021/22 with injuries and has spent a significant portion of the season in the G League. The Warriors picked up Wiseman’s fourth-year option, so he will be under contract for $12.1MM next season. He will be eligible for an extension this summer, but it’s extremely unlikely that the Pistons will want to make that type of commitment.

Bey has been a productive forward for Detroit since being selected 19th overall in 2019. Through 52 games (30 starts, 28.8 MPG) in ’22/23, he’s averaging 14.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.0 SPG on .404/.345/.861 shooting.

The 23-year-old is still on his rookie contract, which is very affordable considering he’s been a regular contributor in each of his first three seasons. He’s making $2.96MM this season and will make $4.56MM in ’23/24. Like Wiseman, he will eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Hawks Keeping John Collins

February 9th, 2023 at 2:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks couldn’t work out a deal involving John Collins prior to the trade deadline and will hold onto their starting power forward through at least the end of the season, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

Collins has been a frequent subject of trade rumors, even before signing a five-year, $125MM extension in 2021. That salary has scared away some potential suitors, as Collins is still owed nearly $52MM over the next two seasons and holds a $26.58MM player option for 2025/26.

The Pistons, Suns, Jazz and Nets were among the teams linked to Collins ahead of this year’s deadline, but a recent report indicated that the new regime running Atlanta’s front office values Collins more than the old group did and has no intention of giving him away cheaply.

Collins, 25, who has been with Atlanta since he was drafted in 2017, is having another productive season, averaging 13.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in 47 games.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Collins, Saric, Warriors, Barnes

February 9th, 2023 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ initial offers for Kevin Durant on Monday and Tuesday fell well short of the Nets‘ asking price as Phoenix sought to keep Mikal Bridges out of its package, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

With the two sides at an apparent impasse, the Suns were in talks with the Hawks and Pistons about a possible three-team trade that would’ve sent John Collins to Phoenix, while the Nets discussed various deals involving Collins, Raptors forward OG Anunoby, and Cavaliers wing Caris LeVert, says Wojnarowski.

However, recognizing that Durant’s mood was “unsettled” and knowing that his preference was to end up in Phoenix, the Nets decided to push the Suns to improve their offer.

The two teams reengaged late on Thursday night, with new Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Nets owner Joe Tsai both getting involved to help put the finishing touches on an agreement, per Wojnarowski. Removing Dario Saric‘s contract from the framework of the deal helped push it across the finish line, Woj adds.

Here are a few more notes from around the Pacific:

Sam Garvin, who was the Suns‘ interim governor during Robert Sarver‘s suspension, will remain in his role as the team’s vice chairman and minority shareholder now that Ishbia has assumed control of the franchise, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
The Warriors have insisted that Stephen Curry‘s leg injury and ongoing absence won’t affect how they approach the trade deadline, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. According to Slater, there have been rumblings this week suggesting that Golden State has become more willing to discuss its younger players if a strong enough upgrade is offered. Slater adds that there’s a “greater whiff of aggressiveness” around the team.
There have been no reports suggesting Harrison Barnes is on the trade block this week, but there also haven’t been any indications that he and the Kings have discussed a contract extension that would keep him in Sacramento beyond this season. Speaking to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, neither Barnes nor his agent offered much clarity on the possibility of an extension. Barnes said it was “more of a Jeff Schwartz question,” while Schwartz said he had “nothing to report on my side other than Harrison enjoys playing for Sac.”

Atlantic Rumors: Durant, Nets, Raptors, Claxton, Celtics, Sixers

February 7th, 2023 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Now that Kyrie Irving has been dealt, Kevin Durant find himself under the spotlight once again as league observers wait to see if the Nets forward will resubmit the trade request he made last summer.

Asked on Monday about that possibility, head coach Jacque Vaughn said that’s not something he has talked to Durant about and he doesn’t plan to do so. In Vaughn’s view, as long as the Nets can continue to show they’re capable of competing with the best teams in the East, there’s no reason for Durant to seek a change of scenery.

“At the end of the day, Kevin wants to win,” Vaughn said on Monday, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “That’s always been our goal. He wants to win at shootaround, he wants to win any game of the week. That’s why he loves to play and that’s why he wants to play 82 games. That will be our holy grail. We’ll continue to try to put a group out that wins and until there’s something for me to be concerned about, then I’ll carry on business as usual.”

While the Nets added two solid role players in their Irving trade, their championship upside probably took a hit as a result of that deal, so the team has been exploring further roster upgrades, as we detailed on Monday. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, before trading Irving, the Nets had also remained in touch with the Hawks about John Collins and had spoken to multiple teams about Joe Harris and Patty Mills.

Although it’s possible Durant could push for a change of scenery again, most people around the NBA don’t expect that to happen this week, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said in a podcast with colleague Brian Windhorst (YouTube link), especially since the Nets’ additions of Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith signaled a desire to continue building a roster around Durant that’s capable of contending — Finney-Smith is a player KD likes and wanted Brooklyn to acquire if the team made a deal with Dallas, Lowe stated.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Following up on reports suggesting that the Nets were talking to the Raptors about Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says Toronto “covets” Brooklyn center Nic Claxton, having also attempted to acquire him at least season’s trade deadline. Ben Simmons and multiple first-round picks have also come up in the Nets’ trade discussions with the Raptors, Scotto adds.
The Athletic’s Jared Weiss and Jay King take a look at what could be on tap for the Celtics at the trade deadline, considering whether it’s realistic to expect them to make a play for Durant and noting that a deal for a center remains the team’s most likely move. Weiss and King also examine Grant Williams‘ up-and-down play and conclude it still doesn’t make sense for Boston to trade him, despite a report from Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer stating that teams are inquiring on Williams.
While Daryl Morey is always a good bet to make some sort of move at the trade deadline, the Sixers president of basketball operations tells Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice that he’s not expecting to make a huge splash this week. “I think it’s very unlikely we’re involved in anything big,” Morey said. “It could easily be that we continue to just develop chemistry and then have the group we have. I and (general manager) Elton (Brand) and everyone feels a responsibility in an important year like this to see if we can find anyone who can upgrade the team.”

Jazz Notes: Vanderbilt, Beasley, Conley, Trade Talks

February 6th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz are facing a “robust” trade market with plenty of interest in Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Mike Conley, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

Sources tell Jones that Utah has been involved in trade calls with every team and has received multiple offers for more than one of its players. He cites “general interest” in Jordan Clarkson as well, although some clubs don’t want to commit to an impending free agent, and states that teams have also called about Kelly Olynyk.

The front office started reviewing all the offers over the weekend, according to Jones’ sources, and will decide soon if any are worth pursuing. He hears that the Jazz won’t approach the trade deadline as a fire sale and will only move forward with deals if they are in the best interest of the team’s future.

Jones was informed that a Western Conference team has offered multiple second-round picks in exchange for Vanderbilt. He’s not sure if Utah will accept that or hold out in hopes of landing a first-rounder as Thursday’s deadline draws closer.

Jones views Vanderbilt as the player most likely to be moved this week. He has been a starter for much of the season, but the emergence of rookie center Walker Kessler has limited the need to keep Vanderbilt on the roster. Utah has received multiple offers for Vanderbilt and must decide whether his age and favorable contract make him more valuable as a keeper or a trade asset.

Jones offers more insight from Utah:

A Western Conference team offered the Jazz a “significant expiring contract” in exchange for Conley earlier this season, but they turned down the deal. Jones hears that Conley, who is under contract for one more season with a partial guarantee, is happy to remain in Utah and serve as a veteran leader and will only be sent to a contender if he is traded.
The Jazz have talked to the Lakers about taking on Russell Westbrook‘s contract, but nothing appeared substantial Sunday night, according to Jones. L.A. has been reluctant to part with its first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to get rid of Westbrook’s expiring $47.1MM deal.
Utah has also discussed deals involving John Collins, but multiple league sources tell Jones that the Hawks won’t part with him unless they’re confident that the return would significantly boost their playoff chances.
The Jazz also asked the Mavericks about Dorian Finney-Smith before Dallas included him in the deal with Brooklyn for Kyrie Irving.
Inquiring teams have been told that Lauri Markkanen, Kessler and fellow rookie Ochai Agbaji aren’t being made available, Jones confirms.

Trade Rumors: Bogdanovic, Collins, Pistons, Wood

February 1st, 2023 at 11:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Numerous teams have been calling to inquire about the availability of Hawks guard/forward Bogdan Bogdanovic, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.

However, as Amick writes, Atlanta hasn’t shown a whole lot of interest in trading the veteran wing, who makes $18MM in 2022/23 and holds an $18MM player option for ’23/24. If Bogdanovic does get moved, whichever team acquires him would have his Bird rights, so it would be able to go over the cap to re-sign him and potentially offer him more years and more money than another team could.

Now in his third season with the Hawks, the 30-year-old is averaging 15.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 3.1 APG on .427/.367/.769 shooting through 26 games. Bogdanovic primarily comes off the bench, but he is averaging a career-high 30.8 minutes per game.

Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA:

Amick says the Hawks are focused on “landing a quality player, or players” in return for forward John Collins, and aren’t necessarily seeking draft compensation. That’s essentially what Amick reported a few weeks ago, with rival executives telling him that Atlanta’s asking price for Collins had come down considerably compared to where it was in past years.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Monday that the Pistons appear to be committed to keeping Bojan Bogdanovic. Marc Stein has heard the same thing from rival teams, writing in his latest Substack article that one league source tells him the Pistons would decline an offer of an unprotected future first-round pick, which is what they were reportedly seeking.
The Pistons have consistently maintained that they would require “quality draft capital” to part with either Alec Burks or Saddiq Bey, Stein adds. It’s unclear what exactly they’re asking for based on that wording, but it sounds like at least some type of decent first-round pick. Time will tell if that stance changes in the next week.
Mavericks big man Christian Wood, who is currently sidelined with a fractured left thumb, will likely be out for around another week, according to Stein, who says Wood is “unlikely to play before next week at the earliest.” Sources tell Stein that contract extension talks between Wood and Dallas are still in the early stages, which is notable with the trade deadline fast approaching — the 27-year-old is earning $14.3MM in the final year of his contract.