The Atlanta Hawks have finally found a team to take John Collins off their hands, dealing the power forward to the Utah Jazz in a move that clears salary for the future. The Hawks are taking back Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick. Here’s what the move means for Atlanta’s plans in free agency.
ESPN Sources: The Hawks are finalizing a trade to send F/C John Collins to the Jazz for Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick. Atlanta’s largely unloading Collins’ three years, $78M for some roster building flexibility and alignment with looming changes to salary cap. pic.twitter.com/CpAfTNXKMq
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2023
Collins was set to make $25 million in 2023-24, and the salary cap is projected to be $136 million. The Hawks are expected to carry a payroll of $145 million before Gay accepts his $6.4 million option, which brings the payroll up to $151 million. That puts Atlanta over the salary cap, meaning future moves would have to be via trades.
Trae Young and Dejounte Murray didn’t quite get into a groove last season, but the Hawks are unlikely to give up on the backcourt duo just yet. There were rumors the team would deal Young this summer, and that could still be possible. However, it’s more likely the team explores the market for a third star.
Paul George and Jaylen Brown would be some names to watch in this space, especially since the Clippers have explored trading the star forward and the Celtics might be hesitant to hand over a full supermax deal. Second-tier players like Mikal Bridges and Keldon Johnson could also be up for grabs. We’ll see if Atlanta makes another move after finally clearing Collins’ contract.