Jazz is given John Collins by the Hawks

Utah Jazz have reportedly agreed to a frontcourt swap, keeping them busy once more in the offseason. According to several sources, the Atlanta Hawks are trading swingman Rudy Gay and a second-round selection to Utah for forward/center John Collins. The trade won't be completed until at least July 6th.

Rudy Gobert, an All-Star center, was traded by the Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves last summer, and guard Donovan Mitchell went to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lauri Markkanen, who later developed into an All-Star for the Cavaliers in 2022–2023, was returned to the Jazz as part of that trade.

Collins, who will play in his ninth NBA season, played 30 minutes per game with the Hawks last year and averaged 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 blocks. However, following the 2019–20 season, when he averaged a career-best 21.6 ppg and 10.1 rpg, his statistics have fallen off.

Collins will join a frontcourt in Utah that includes rookie Taylor Hendricks (the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft), second-year center Walker Kessler (9.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.3 bpg), and guard Lauri Markkanen (25.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.9 apg last season). While Kessler, a player Utah acquired in the Gobert trade, was named to the All-Rookie first team and finished fourth in the league in blocks per game, Markkanen was named the Kia Most Improved Player.

The Jazz were an afterthought in the Western Conference at the start of the previous season after trading away Gobert and Mitchell. Even so, the squad started out competitively, going 10-3, and stayed close to.500 until about the All-Star break. Mike Conley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley's midseason trades diminished Utah's scoring power, and a late-season injury to Markkanen ended the team's hopes of making the playoffs and the AT&T Play-In Tournament by early April.

Collins still has two seasons left on his five-year, $125 million contract (along with a player option in 2025-26). The move generates a $25.3 million trade exception, the largest in the NBA, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, and Atlanta has a year to consider using it.

Additionally, the agreement provides Atlanta the freedom to investigate potential Dejounte Murray, Onyeka Okongwu, and Saddiq Bey contract extensions. Collins' departure frees up playing time for Okongwu as well as promising frontcourt rookies like AJ Griffin and Jalen Johnson, who both had developmental glimpses at various points last season.

Gay, a 17-year NBA veteran, played as a reserve with the Jazz for the past two seasons. Last season, he averaged career lows in almost every category, posting 5.2 ppg and 2.9 rpg in 14.6 mpg. He allegedly exercised his player option for the upcoming season in order to facilitate the deal.

After Quin Snyder took over as coach in late February, the Hawks didn't really improve, going 10-11 in the remaining 21 games of the regular season to finish a frustrating year at 41-41. They won the play-in game at Miami and earned the No. 7 seed, but they lost to the second-seeded Celtics, giving them their second consecutive one-round exit from the NBA Playoffs.

The Hawks sold out State Farm Arena for almost all of their games, breaking a team record and breaking years of attendance struggles. But the team didn't often give its supporters much to rejoice about.

Hawks star Trae Young said in April, "I want to be looked at as a team that should come in and win a championship, not just be in the picture, not just be in the running." "I want to start the season with a team that people will look at and say they have a chance to win. My entire mindset and point of emphasis are those things.