NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on John Collins, Possible Spencer Dinwiddie Trade, More

Aaron Gash/Associated Press

The feeding frenzy that was 2021 NBA free agency's opening on Monday made it seem as if any and every relevant hooper-for-hire had already been claimed.

But the available player pool is far from dry.

Several impact players remain unsigned, as do a plethora of rotation-caliber role players. There's enough talent in the market to keep the rumor mill going, so let's break down the latest buzz.

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On Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski brought word that Spencer Dinwiddie was "nearing a deal" with the Washington Wizards. But Tuesday came and went without anything being finalized.

There's apparently a reason for that. Because the Wizards are over the cap, they can only add Dinwiddie through a sign-and-trade. That's a tricky proposition, because the Brooklyn Nets are so deep in the luxury tax, they "almost certainly" aren't looking to add more substantial salaries to the payroll, per The Athletic's Fred Katz.

Moreover, the Nets want "a significant asset" for Dinwiddie, per Katz, and have significant leverage since the Wizards don't have room to sign the productive point guard outright. That could be a draft pick or a young player, though the former might be preferable given the franchise's financial picture.

The Wizards and Nets probably need a third team to make this work, since they don't cleanly align as trade partners on first glance. The biggest takeaway for Washington fans, though, is that despite all of these obstacles, this likely resolves with Dinwiddie getting to the District one way or another.

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Atlanta Hawks and John Collins disagree about the bouncy big man's worth.

Last fall, the two sides couldn't iron out an extension, which ticketed Collins for restricted free agency this offseason. But it's deja vu all over again, as the Hawks haven't bridged the gap with their young forward yet despite putting a five-year, $125 million offer on the table, per The Athletic's Sam Amick.

"Why hasn't Collins agreed to re-sign yet?" Amick wrote. "Because as was the case last offseason, when he turned down a $90 million extension and wasn't shy about the fact that he saw himself as a maximum salary player, he clearly sees his value differently than the Hawks. Again."

It seems like once an offseason, some player gets caught up in the thorny world of restricted free agency. Collins might be trapped for a while without a concession on his salary demand, because all of the leverage is on Atlanta's side.

Only the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have significant cap space left, and neither is an obvious suitor for Collins. Even if either had interest, they may not want to tie up their cap space in an offer sheet, since the Hawks could match it anyway. Maybe Collins holds out long enough to squeeze a few more millions out of the franchise, but this offer seems pretty fair (if not generous) for his talent level.

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

For the Golden State Warriors to return to championship contention, they needed to rank among this offseason's biggest winners. And while inking a new extension with Stephen Curry was a massive victory for the franchise's future, it doesn't move the Dubs any closer to the 2021 title.

Nothing really has so far. The Warriors weren't able to turn their two lottery picks into win-now talent, so they spent them on rookies who probably won't play a huge role next season. Free agency has so far only yielded minimum agreements with Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica, who will have maxed out their potential if they settle into complementary roles.

Golden State hasn't made an impact acquisition yet.

A trade for Utah Jazz swingman Joe Ingles might qualify, and the Warriors are interested, per The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II. But does Golden State have anything to interest Utah? The Jazz would make the move for cost-cutting purposes, so a sign-and-trade for Kelly Oubre Jr. is out. They could throw together a three-player package to match Ingles' salary, but that may not interest either team.

Getting Ingles to Golden State is tricky—not impossible, but definitely difficult. If the Warriors can figure it out, though, he'd scratch several itches as a smart veteran who can shoot, create and steer the second unit's attack.