9. John Collins – Fact
There is no reason the Golden State Warriors shouldn’t be looking to add more talent to their frontcourt. While the rise of Eric Paschall was a pleasant surprise, the fact remains that the forward and center position remain areas of weakness for the Dubs.
John Collins is an easy fix for their problems, mostly on the offensive end. Collins averaged a career-best 21.6 points last season and made leaps as a shooter. He hit 59-of-147 deep attempts, just over 40 percent. Combine this with electric athleticism and Collins would be the most versatile scorer in the Warriors frontcourt.
Now, why would the Atlanta Hawks trade a seemingly important piece to their rebuild? Well, the duo of Collins and Trae Young hasn’t exactly made an impact in the win column yet. It’s possible that due to their defensive inefficiencies together, they never will. This could be all the reason for Atlanta to cut their losses and trade Collins now for a few NBA Draft picks and young talent like Paschall or Jordan Poole.
However, the biggest reason Atlanta might trade Collins is their reluctancy to pay him a max contract. The Hawks might choose to retain some financial flexibility moving forward with Young as their sole cornerstone. Of course, this also puts a dent in the Warriors hopes of keeping Collins longterm but perhaps a successful season with a championship-caliber team will encourage him to take a pay cut in the future. Collins will be a restricted free agent in the 2021 offseason.