Trade rumors have been swirling around John Collins for the better part of two years. Fresh off a new contract, the 24-year-old big man figured to be a featured player on the youthful Atlanta Hawks. He had been a leader for the team both on off the court, so that thought made sense. Yet even still, the rumors persisted and reached full throttle ahead of the NBA Draft.
Ultimately, John Collins remained an Atlanta Hawk and, according to Dylan Mathews, that's how it should stay.
"I think we all need to understand something," Dylan said. "John Collins is not going anywhere. John Collins is here for the foreseeable future."
Dylan believes the narrative surrounding John Collins and his position within the organization has been all wrong. News emerging about interest in Collins is happening because he is a great player and other teams want him, not necessarily that the Hawks have been trying to get rid of him. He cited comments from Hawks GM Landry Fields:
"If you’re building a roster with any team and you’re looking at how you can get better, teams often think this way: ‘Well, the Hawks have a really good player that makes a certain amount of dollars that works for what we’re trying to do.’ So, there are a bunch of concepts they’re going to throw our way and say, ‘What do you think of John?’ The truth of the matter is that John Collins is still on the Hawks. We still have value in him, too. This isn’t one of those, ‘We have to get off of John.’ That’s absurd."
Teams are interested because he is talented, but the Hawks aren't "pressed" to make a deal, Dylan said.
"So I think we all need to understand that John Collins is here for the foreseeable future. When it comes time for the trade deadline, will we hear his name in trade rumors? Probably. But my gut is telling me that Collins is in here for the long haul."