Despite not being transferred, John Collins was one of the great protagonists of the closing of the transfer market last year. The power forward was then the target of a thousand rumors that placed his future far from the Atlanta Hawks. The franchise came to put a price on him and teams like the Celtics or Timberwolves did not take long to test him. In the end, Collins did not leave, and that relief helped sign a second part of the season and playoffs that would help him finally sign his contract extension last August. This seemed to put an end to his instability, but the rumours, to the annoyance of Collins, have returned. “The ‘trade machine’ in the NBA has gone haywire. But I’m used to that noise by now. I have already declared my allegiance to Atlanta» declares Collins in an interview granted to The Athletic talking about the possible transfer by Ben Simmons.
Collins shows his displeasure regarding the misinterpretation of some of his statements by Shams Charania. The power forward is unhappy with his reduced role in the Hawks’ offensive plot, but he assures that this does not mean that he has the slightest intention of leaving there. In any case, the market is sovereign, and it should know very well that its destiny is not in its hands.
Atlanta is going through a moment of enormous disappointment in a season that promised them happiness. Nate McMillan’s men have suffered an incredible game regression that has them twelfth in the East. During much of the talk the prevailing tone is frustration. Both collective and individual. Which connects with the opinions that are filtered from management.
Travis Schlenk, general manager of the franchise, recently dropped that perhaps it was time to rethink short-term movements. He came to suggest that perhaps it had not been a good idea to bet on the continuity of the project after reaching the Conference Finals last year. Something that points directly to Collins and his 125 million dollars in five years. This may be real or just a way for management to put pressure on their players in an effort to get back on track for victory. Be that as it may, the rumor machine doesn’t look like it’s going to stop for the next month in Georgia.
(Cover photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
