John Collins Says He's 'All-In' with Hawks as They Discuss Contract Extension

John Collins is eligible for an extension this offseason and left no doubts that he wants to remain with the Atlanta Hawks.

The forward discussed his interest in an extension in an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype:

"I would love it. I would love to say in Atlanta, I would love to be here, so I feel great about it. We're in good hopes and good spirits with everything right now. Nothing's really come up as of yet. Everything is still in the talks, but like I said, I'm definitely still in great spirits, and everything is going well. I'm all in. I'm true to Atlanta. There's nothing else I've got to say. I'm ready to extend."

Collins had a rough start to the season when he was suspended 25 games for testing positive for a growth hormone. With the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the season in March and the Hawks not making the restart, the forward was limited to just 41 games in 2019-20.

The 22-year-old was still impressive when he was on the court, averaging 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Though he didn't have enough games to qualify, he would have joined Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only players to average 20 and 10 this season.

Adding his career-high 40.1 percent shooting from three-point range, the 6'9" Collins has easily exceeded expectations as the No. 19 overall pick in 2017 and has become an ideal secondary option alongside Trae Young.

The Wake Forest product is providing the Hawks with great value, as he's set to make $4.1 million in 2020-21 on the final year of his rookie contract, but it will cost more for the team to keep him on the roster.

If he does secure an extension, Atlanta could have an exciting young core of Young, Collins, De'Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish, all of whom are under 23 years old, plus 26-year-old center Clint Capela.

It's been three years since the Hawks made the playoffs, but Collins is clearly excited about the future for this organization.