The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly experiencing proverbial "growing pains."
The talented but unproven team has apparently seen internal disagreements between two of its young stars amid a tough three-game losing streak, according to a report published by The Athletic.
Stud forward John Collins was said to have expressed dissatisfaction with All-Star point guard Trae Young's handling of the offense during a team meeting, the report said.
There was no contentious exchange between the players, but Collins' remarks were noted in the room, according to reporters Chris Kirschner and Sam Amick.
Young later refuted Collins' characterization that he wasn't involving teammates enough, or that he would launch long-range three pointers early in the shot clock before his teammates could even get in position, they added.
The report goes on to speculate that the dissension may be rooted in Collins' contract negotiations with the Hawks, which he recently broke off amid an apparent impasse, although other teammates apparently agreed with Collins' assessment of Young's approach.
The fourth-year big man out of Wake Forest is reportedly seeking a max contract, while the Hawks appear to be reluctant to go there for a player who has missed time in recent seasons due to injury and a PED suspension.
Collins is looking to prove he deserves such a deal, and needs the touches to do it, the report suggests. To do so, he needs the cooperation of Young, the team's primary ball-handler.
Meanwhile the Hawks have retooled in a big way beginning with last season's trade deadline, with some observers declaring them the winners of the offseason after they added several household names.
The idea apparently was to build around an exciting young nucleus that many presumed would include both Young and Collins for the foreseeable future.
But Collins' contract talks have dragged on for some time, prompting speculation about an eventual split.
In the meantime the Hawks have fallen back to .500 after a heady start.
Young was markedly passive in the team's most recent loss to the Hornets, according to The Athletic report, and appeared to brush off Collins when Collins put his arm around him during a timeout.
Despite the apparent friction, Collins told the outlet in a text message that Young was still his "brother."