Hawks Rumors: John Collins Turned Down $90M Contract Extension, Seeking Max Deal

The Atlanta Hawks reportedly made a lucrative contract offer to John Collins prior to the Dec. 21 deadline, but the 23-year-old turned it down because he's seeking a larger deal. 

On the Hoop Collective Podcast (h/t Reddit.com), ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the Hawks offered Collins "in excess of $90 million" on an extension that was turned down because he "was seeking something at or near the max and he stuck to his guns."

Collins has been consistent in his stance that he wants a max deal. The fourth-year power forward told this to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic in March:

"I definitely feel like I am in max contract contention. If I finish this season averaging 20 and 10, the other guys who are averaging 20 and 10 are max-caliber guys. I'm in that conversation and feel like I am worthy of being extended as such. That's for the Hawks to decide and figure it out. If you want to look at numbers and flat-out play, I definitely feel like I've earned it. But the team situation, future cap and all that, now you have a contract negotiation."

Atlanta had a busy offseason by signing Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic in an attempt to boost its roster with the hope of making a playoff push in the Eastern Conference. 

Collins has turned into a valuable player for the Hawks since being selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He was eligible for a rookie extension this offseason but can become a restricted free agent next summer. 

Atlanta currently has $100,996,087 in salary commitments in 2021-22 without Collins under contract. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last month that the 2021-22 salary cap is expected to be set at $112 million, with the luxury-tax threshold at $136.6 million. 

Last season, Collins was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA's drug policy after testing positive for a human growth hormone. The Wake Forest alum put up terrific numbers when he did play, averaging 21.6 points on 58.3 percent shooting and 10.1 rebounds in 41 games.