Of all the pieces put up for sale on the Atlanta Hawks, John Collins seemed the most appetizing. Although also the most difficult to move. The power forward has received interest from teams like Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers among others. But, far from coming to fruition, the unsuccessful negotiations have led the franchise to consider a future with Collins being a Hawks player for another year. One of those interested teams was the Miami Heat, who Zach Lowe notes in his podcast pursued the option before focusing their efforts on Mitchell and Durant.
The ESPN specialist leaves the door open for the Florida team to return to the fray if they fall short in pursuing their main goals. It’s unknown what kind of offer Pat Riley would have put on the table, but it would likely include Duncan Robinson on salary and/or Tyler Herro on sports compensation. Sooner or later, the Heat will have to solve the loss of PJ Tucker with the acquisition of a ‘4’, and perhaps Collins is the best on the market ignoring Durant’s ability to play there.
(Portrait photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
