John Collins Trade Rumors: Hawks Willing to Listen to Offers for Star Forward

The Atlanta Hawks have reportedly shown a "willingness to listen" to trade offers for forward John Collins, but the franchise's desire to win in the short term complicates the process.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Friday the situation is "worth watching" ahead of the March 25 NBA trade deadline, but so far it "appears unlikely" Collins will be moved.

The 23-year-old Wake Forest product is off to a strong start to the 2020-21 season. He's averaged 18.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 55.9 percent from the field in 24 appearances.

He's second to guard Trae Young (26.6 PPG) in scoring for Atlanta, which is currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with an 11-13 record.

In September, Collins told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype he viewed trade rumors as a positive.

"The trade talks I'm always aware that could be an option just because of me being an NBA player," he said. "I get it. I wasn't too hung up over that. Whenever I'm in trade talks, that's a good thing. That means other teams are seeing my value, want me, and so I try to take it as a good thing."

Trying to find a trade that would work for the Hawks without significantly hurting their chances of making the playoffs this year would be difficult, though.

The contenders that would likely be most interested probably aren't going to move any of their impact players in a deal close to the deadline. Those type of packages typically surround draft picks and rotation assets thrown in to level out the salaries.

Perhaps the outlook will change if Atlanta struggles over the next six weeks and its playoff chances have faded. Under that scenario, it could make more sense to move Collins, who's set to become a restricted free agent at season's end and will likely command a lucrative extension.

It's still a long shot he'll be dealt before the deadline, though.