The Atlanta Hawks were trying to concede John Collins for at least a couple of seasons, and now, just days before the start of free agency, they have done it. As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, Collins will be traded to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Rudy Gay and a second-round draft pick.. Very little, for a player who has always gone into double figures in his career. In recent seasons, however, the long man’s performance has declined, down to a 13.1-point, 6.5-rebound average last year, and now the Hawks get more flexibility to sign new players starting July 1.
Gay exercised the $6.4 million Player Option on his contract, but the salary disparity with Collins (who will earn $25.3 million next year) will create a $25.3 million trade exception, the largest in the NBA at the moment. The Hawks will be able to use it to add a player within a year.
Collins has three years left on his contract, for $78 million total. The Jazz, who currently have no ambitions but are in the midst of rebuilding, will not feel the burden of this contract as much, which they could also flip in some other trade.
Milan. A graduate in Labor Management and Communication for Organizations from Catholic University, I founded BasketUniverso in 2011. Yes, I root for Orlando Magic and do my best not to hide it.
