John Collins Rumors: Star 'Done' with Hawks Despite Not Being Traded During Draft

Forward John Collins' tenure with the Atlanta Hawks may be nearing its conclusion.

According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, a source close to Collins said this week that he is "done in Atlanta."

Collins was not traded during the 2022 NBA draft on Thursday despite rumors that he was available. He remains under contract with the Hawks through at least the 2024-25 season and carries a player option for 2025-26.

He is playing under the five-year, $125 million contract he signed with the Hawks last year.

The possibility of a Collins-Hawks breakup has seemingly been brewing for quite some time based on reports of Collins being unhappy during the 2021-22 season.

In January, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that Collins had grown "increasingly frustrated" with his role on the team. Charania also reported that Collins had "challenged the Hawks locker room on several occasions."

Atlanta selected Collins with the No. 19 pick in the 2017 draft out of Wake Forest, and he has put up solid numbers during his five years with the team.

In 293 regular-season games, Collins boasts averages of 16.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 block, and shooting marks of 55.9 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Collins' stats were slightly below his career averages in many respects last season, as he posted 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 three-pointers made and 1.0 block in 54 games.

It represented a fairly significant drop-off from two years earlier when Collins enjoyed a career season with 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, although injury limited him to 41 contests.

Collins was also an important figure during the Hawks' surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, averaging 13.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.1 three-pointers made in 18 postseason games.

Even with his numbers taking a hit last season, Collins was still the Hawks' second-leading scorer behind only All-Star guard Trae Young. He was second on the team in rebounding behind center Clint Capela.

Trading Collins would leave a huge hole in Atlanta's roster and perhaps require the Hawks to make another big move via trade of free agency to remain a playoff team in the Eastern Conference.

While Collins hasn't yet been an All-Star, he could be a nice second or third scoring option on a contending or rising team, which is what he has been for the Hawks in recent years.