Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks will be without star forward John Collins for at least one week because of an ankle injury. 

Per an announcement from the team, Collins was diagnosed with a lateral ankle sprain and bone bruise after leaving Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns. 

Collins was removed from the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. 

Interim head coach Nate McMillan told reporters that Collins stepped on another player's foot and twisted his ankle. 

“It was pretty sore and I saw him grimacing out there, so we got a sub for him and was told at halftime that he wasn’t able to come back,” McMillan said after the Hawks' 117-110 loss.

Collins has started all 47 games for the Hawks so far this season. He hasn't missed a game since Jan. 4, 2020, a streak of 78 games. 

Atlanta is currently the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 23-24 record. It only trails the Charlotte Hornets by 1.5 games for the top spot in the Southeast Division. 

Collins ranks second on the Hawks with 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He's also shooting 38 percent from three-point range on 3.4 attempts per contest. 

The Hawks are scheduled to play five games over the next seven days. 

Power forward John Collins was ruled out for the remainder of Tuesday night's matchup vs. the Phoenix Suns with a left ankle sprain, the team announced. 

Collins scored nine points and added four rebounds and three assists in 15 first-half minutes before being ruled out. 

Collins, 23, is having an excellent season for the Hawks, averaging 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from three. He's the rare big who is athletic enough to be a dangerous roll man and protect the rim while simultaneously providing floor spacing with solid perimeter shooting. 

Coming into Tuesday's game, Atlanta was 23-23 on the year and sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. 

But because Collins will be a restricted free agent after the season, he was the subject of rumors ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline. Ultimately, Atlanta decided to keep him. 

And Collins told reporters last week that he wanted to remain with the Hawks, both in the short and long term:

"I want to stay. I want my flowers here in Atlanta. I want to be true to Atlanta for my entire career, as corny or as cheesy as it may sound to whoever. As a basketball player and as someone who takes pride in their job, me being drafted in the organization and me living here and becoming a man and living my life in the NBA as a Hawk means something to me. It might not mean a lot to other people but I want to be here. I want my future to be here."

If Collins is forced to miss additional time with his ankle injury, look for Solomon Hill to move into the starting lineup at power forward. 

The Atlanta Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk told reporters on Friday the team never seriously considered moving forward John Collins prior to Thursday's trade deadline.

Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relayed the remarks: "We never had any serious conversations, with any team, about moving him this year."

Collins, 23, has averaged 18.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game for a resurgent Hawks team that has won eight of its last 10 games to move to 22-22, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Collins will become a restricted free agent in the offseason, so it's possible another team breaks the bank for the ex-Wake Forest star and offers a contract Atlanta doesn't want to match. However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported March 19 the Hawks told inquiring teams they intend to match any offer sheets for Collins in the summer so it seems likely he'll stay put.

Collins has made it clear that he would like to remain in Atlanta, with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic relaying his remarks from Tuesday:

"I want to stay. I want my flowers here in Atlanta. I want to be true to Atlanta for my entire career, as corny or as cheesy as it may sound to whoever. As a basketball player and as someone who takes pride in their job, me being drafted in the organization and me living here and becoming a man and living my life in the NBA as a Hawk means something to me.

"It might not mean a lot to other people but I want to be here. I want my future to be here. I want to think about my future here but the reality of the situation is stuff doesn't always go the way I want it to. All I can do to make sure my future is as good as it can be is make sure I'm the best player I can be and wake up every day and figure it out."

The Hawks have a promising young core featuring Trae Young, Collins, DeAndre Hunter, and Clint Capela. They've managed a .500 record despite missing Hunter, who is averaging 16.0 points, for 22 games due to injury.

They just won eight straight games before losing a hard-fought battle to the Los Angeles Clippers, who sport the third-best record in the West. Atlanta then ran into a buzzsaw on the road against a Sacramento Kings team that has won five of six thanks largely to some excellent play from De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton.

The Hawks could ultimately be best off keeping this core together as best they can and seeing what the ceiling is, especially with head coach Nate MacMillan appearing to have an overwhelmingly positive effect on this team after taking over when Atlanta was 14-20.

Lou Williams wasn't prepared to be traded by the Los Angeles Clippers, so much that the deal sending him to the Atlanta Hawks initially led him to consider walking away from the NBA. 

In a post on Instagram, Williams said he "thought about retiring" when the trade was announced:

"You give so much to an organization and you wake up and boom, it’s no more. Then in true clipper nation fashion I was reminded that my talent and contribution was appreciated and It made me reflect on what’s to come. There’s plenty left in my tank and I’m privileged to continue my career in my backyard. LA, thank you. Love you. Appreciate you. Great times and memories!!! ATL, LouWillVille. Mr. Williams, welcome home."

Williams was dealt to the Hawks Thursday, along with two second-round draft picks and cash, for Rajon Rondo. He previously played in Atlanta for two seasons from 2012-14. 

The Clippers originally acquired Williams in a trade with the Houston Rockets prior to the 2017-18 season. He was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in each of his first two seasons with the organization. 

Williams has been one of the best scorers off the bench throughout his career, but especially during his time in Los Angeles. The 34-year-old averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his first two seasons with the Clippers. 

Give some credit to Buffalo Wild Wings for trying to insert itself into one of the weirdest stories of the NBA's Orlando, Florida, bubble last year, but the chicken chain may have been better off sitting out Thursday's trade deadline. 

Then-Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams was required to quarantine for 10 days after he broke protocol on an approved trip to Atlanta during the league's restart last year. While on the trip, he stopped by the Magic City gentleman's club to pick up an order of the lemon pepper wings that bear his name. 

After Williams was traded to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, Buffalo Wild Wings tried to welcome him back to town by enticing him with its own lemon pepper wings—only to get smacked down on Twitter by Magic City. 

The franchise also seemed to forget there are no Buffalo Wild Wings locations in downtown Atlanta. Meanwhile, Magic City is located just a mile from State Farm Arena. 

It's pretty obvious Buffalo Wild Wings won't win this one in Williams' eyes.     

Despite being mentioned in trade rumors recently, John Collins is reportedly not going to be moved by the Atlanta Hawks this week. 

On ESPN's Woj and Lowe Trade Deadline Special (h/t Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire), Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Hawks aren't going to deal Collins. 

Collins' long-term status with the Hawks has been up in the air since he turned down an extension offer prior to the start of this season that ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported was worth "in excess of $90 million."

Leading up to Thursday's trade deadline, Collins has been generating interest from a number of teams around the NBA. 

Per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons were all showing interest in the Hawks power forward. 

O'Connor noted that Atlanta was seeking "one young player and a first-round draft pick to make a deal, or a package of similar value such as multiple first-round picks" if it was going to consider trading Collins. 

Collins is eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, but Atlanta's recent surge up the Eastern Conference standings makes it difficult to justify trading him right now. 

The Hawks won eight straight games prior to Tuesday's 119-110 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. They are in first place in the Southeast Division and are the No. 4 seed in the east with a 22-21 record. 

Collins is averaging 18.3 points on 54.2 percent shooting, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 43 starts this season. 

The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly "increasingly reluctant" to trade forward John Collins amid the team's eight-game winning streak, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

The recent surge has pushed the team to 22-20 for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta is seeking its first playoff appearance since 2017 following three straight years of fewer than 30 wins.

Trading Collins would be a major blow to the Hawks' playoff hopes.

The forward currently averages 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, ranking second on the team in each category. Collins put on a show for potential teams in his last game against the Los Angeles Lakers, finishing with 27 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in a five-point win. 

With averages of 21.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last season, the 23-year-old has proved he can make a major impact on the court.

According to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, the Hawks are receiving "significant trade interest" for Collins with the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves all linked to the forward.

Even with a potential bidding war on hand, Atlanta also has the option to keep Collins and finish strong in 2020-21.

The forward will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, giving the Hawks the ability to match any offer. It could ensure a long-term partnership between the two sides if he isn't dealt this week.

The Minnesota Timberwolves may have interest in acquiring Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins, but there is a limit to how much they will pay in a potential trade.   

Per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, Minnesota turned down a proposal of Malik Beasley and a first-round draft pick in exchange for Collins. 

Minnesota has reportedly zeroed in on Collins leading up to the trade deadline. NBA writer Jackie MacMullan said on the March 12 episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast (19:30 mark) that the T-Wolves are "dying" to acquire the 23-year-old forward. 

The Timberwolves still own the worst record in the NBA (10-32), but they have looked better under new head coach Chris Finch with a 3-3 mark in their past six games. They are also trying to build a roster around Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell for next season that can compete for a playoff spot. 

When trade rumors about Collins first started popping up, the Hawks were on the fringes of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. They have rattled off eight straight wins since Nate McMillan took over as interim head coach on March 2.

Atlanta's 22-20 record is tied with the Miami Heat for first in the Southeast Division and fourth overall in the Eastern Conference standings. 

Of course, the Hawks are also in a potentially tricky salary-cap situation after this season. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari signed lucrative contracts in free agency last offseason. Trae Young has one more guaranteed year on his rookie deal and will be eligible for a rookie max extension this summer. 

Collins, who can be a restricted free agent this summer, has previously said he wants a max contract. The Wake Forest alum is averaging 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds on 53.8 percent shooting in 42 starts this season.

The Atlanta Hawks are preparing to match any contract offer given to power forward John Collins this offseason if the restricted free agent isn't dealt by the March 25 trade deadline.  

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Atlanta has made their intentions clear and have informed any clubs inquiring on his availability of the plan. That could make the trade price for Collins considerably high after the Hawks were unable to reach an extension with him last December. 

The 23-year-old is averaging 18.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 41 games this season. 

On Tuesday, ESPN's Tim Bontemps spoke to anonymous NBA executives to get a better sense of the Hawks' strategy with Collins at the deadline but didn't get too clear of a picture.

Said the Eastern Conference exec: 

"They're worried he's getting maxed, and they're putting it out there they are willing to pay him if he gets a max but won't be thrilled about it. I think they'd like to buy, but not sure there's a lot to buy or what they buy it with [Kevin] Huerter and picks, I guess, is the package, but what is that buying you?"

Windhorst makes it clear the Hawks are either dealing Collins now or hanging onto him long-term. 

At 21-20, Atlanta is on a seven-game winning streak and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Collins has been a major part of that resurgence. The Wake Forest product is shooting 48.9 percent from the field since the beginning of March and his 7.9 rebounds per game over that stretch mark his highest average in any month this season. 

The Hawks drafted Collins No. 19 overall in 2017 and tried to build their frontcourt around him. The addition of big man Clint Capela has changed his role a bit this year, but Collins continues to produce at an impressive clip. 

Atlanta won't be giving him up easily—if at all. 

John Collins has been regularly discussed as a potential trade candidate before the NBA's March 25 deadline, but it appears he's trending toward staying with the Atlanta Hawks this season. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski noted the following on the Woj Pod on Thursday (h/t RealGM):

"John Collins, I think, is unlikely to leave Atlanta. I don't think they can find value on a rookie contract for him. They're 6-0 since Nate McMillan took over as head coach. I think they can figure out John Collins' future. ... There was a limit they were willing to go in negations, around $90 million on an extension. He'll be a restricted free agent. They can figure that out after the season."

Collins, 23, is having another solid season, averaging 18.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three. In many ways, his game provides the perfect blueprint for the modern 4, combining athleticism and solid defense around the basket with the ability to stretch the floor. 

So why would Atlanta consider moving him?

Collins will be a restricted free agent after the season and is likely to field significant offers. Matching those offers could leave Atlanta in a long-term salary crunch:

• Danilo Gallinari is owed $20.4 million next season and $21.4 million (non-guaranteed) in 2022-23. 
• Bogdan Bogdanovic will earn $18 million in each of the next three seasons (2023-24 is a player option).
• Clint Capela will earn $17.1 million next season and $18.2 million in 2022-23.
• Trae Young will inevitably sign a max contract when he is eligible that kicks in for the 2022-23 season. 
• DeAndre Hunter may not get max money when he's eligible for an extension, but he's trending toward a lucrative deal that would kick in for the 2023-24 season. 
• Atlanta will have long-term decisions to make on Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish in coming seasons. 

So, yes, the Hawks have a potential salary crunch to consider. Giving up on Collins, a promising young player on a promising young team, isn't ideal. The Hawks can likely find a way to make the money work. 

But those complications are one of the reasons his name has been making the rounds in trade rumors.