Despite not being transferred, John Collins was one of the main 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. Finally Collins did not leave, and that relief helped to sign a second part of the season and playoffs that would help him, at last, sign his contract extension last August. This seemed to put an end to their instability, but the rumors, much to Collins’ dismay, have returned. “The ‘transfer machine’ in the NBA has gone haywire. But I’ve gotten used to that noise by now. I have already declared my allegiance to Atlanta »declares Collins in an interview granted to The Athletic speaking of the possible transfer by Ben Simmons.
Collins shows his dissatisfaction with the misinterpretation of some of his statements by Shams Charania. The power forward is unhappy with his reduced role in the offensive parcel of the Hawks, but assures that that does not mean that he has the slightest intention of leaving there. In any case, the market is sovereign, and you should know very well that your fate is not in your hands.
Atlanta is going through a moment of enormous disappointment in a season that promised to be happy. Nate McMillan’s men have suffered an incredible game regression that has them twelfth in the East. For much of the talk the prevailing tone is frustration. Both collective and individual. Which is related to the opinions that are filtered from the management.
Travis Schlenk, general manager of the franchise, recently dropped that perhaps it was time to rethink short-term moves. He came to suggest that perhaps it had not been a good idea to bet on the continuity of the project following 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 to get back on the winning track. Be that as it may, the gossip machine doesn’t look like it’s going to stop for the next month in Georgia.
(Cover photo by Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)