NBA Trade Rumors: Hawks Offered John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Pick for Kevin Durant
The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly among the many teams targeting Kevin Durant, offering the Brooklyn Nets a package of John Collins, De’Andre Hunter and a draft pick for Durant, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The offer came in the past month, but Charania noted the conversation didn't gain much traction, similar to other talks with the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.
Durant has four years left on his contract with the Nets, but he requested a trade in June and reiterated the plan to leave earlier this month, per Charania. The 12-time All-Star gave an ultimatum to either trade him or fire both head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.
A trade would be a no-brainer for the Hawks, as they would instantly become a title contender after losing in the first round of the playoffs last year.
Adding Durant, who averaged 29.9 points per game last season, alongside All-Stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray would give the team a lot of options offensively. There might be issues about sharing the ball, but the team wouldn't be short on scoring.
Murray, Durant and Clint Capela would also add significant length to the defense after the team finished 26th in efficiency last year.
The proposed trade would deal two starters from last season in Collins and Hunter, although Collins has already been the subject of trade rumors for more than a year. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported in June that the Hawks were "engaged" with teams about a potential Collins trade.
Brooklyn is likely seeking a potential star in return for Durant, although no trades have materialized to this point.
Collins is still just 24 years old and averaged 16.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last year. In 2019-20, he was a 20-10 player over 41 games while shooting 40.1 percent from three-point range.
Hunter also has a lot of upside as the No. 4 draft pick in 2019. He averaged 13.4 points per game during the regular season and 21.2 over five postseason contests.
Considering the lack of alternatives, Brooklyn should at least keep this offer in mind with the season fast approaching.
