Report: Utah Jazz looking to trade John Collins
We are less than two months away from the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Despite being roughly 30 percent through the 2023-24 NBA season, teams are getting a better idea of where they sit among the pack across the Association.
One of those teams who could be looking to sell ahead of the deadline is the Utah Jazz, who enter Monday as the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference and five games back of the Phoenix Suns for the fourth-and-final play-in spot.
The Jazz have a few different trade chips that others could be interested in, though the team is looking to move on from John Collins, Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reported last week.
Collins was traded from the Atlanta Hawks for Rudy Gay, who the Hawks eventually released, and a future second-round pick. It generated the league’s largest trade exception at $25.34 million, which has been subsequently trimmed to $23.02 million since, according to Spotrac.
The 26-year-old has been involved in trade rumors for practically every season of his career, though June was the first time he was dealt in a half dozen seasons. He’s currently averaging 14.5 points and 8.6 rebounds in 31.0 minutes, shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from 3-point range.
Collins’ fit has not been the cleanest in Utah’s frontcourt and he is owed $78.5 million for the rest of his contract, including a $26.9 million player option in 2025-26, the final year of his deal, according to Spotrac. Utah acquired him for 10 cents on the dollar, so the Jazz might not be looking for a hefty return, but Danny Ainge wants to win every deal and has been known to hold onto his assets unless he gets a necessary return.
Jazz veterans Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk and Lauri Markkanen, among others, could be on the move. But will Collins? Only time will tell.
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