After six seasons in Atlanta, it was rumored that John Collins would be on the move this summer. Despite signing a five-year contract extension in 2021, Collins saw his responsibility decrease over the last couple of seasons, leading to the trade that took place last week.
The Utah Jazz acquired Collins to bolster an already-promising front line that features 2022 All-Star Lauri Markkanen & standout rook, Walker Kessler. Markkanen, whose versatile game allows him to shift between the 3 & 4, will likely slide to the 3 in 2023-24, leaving room for Collins to fit into his natural power forward position next to Kessler.
It’s a nice swing for Utah - though they’re currently “in flux” in terms of wanting to compete for the postseason and rebuilding, the goal is to stockpile talent (at multiple positions) and develop a consistent lineup that’s (at least) capable of competing every night.
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It was an odd 2022-23 campaign for Collins: he shot his lowest percentage & averaged his fewest points (13.1) since his rookie season but played in the second-most games (71) of his career.
In Utah, expect his output to return near the 15-17 point range with extra attention placed on Markkanen from outside, Collins can thrive as a multi-dimensional finisher (shooter & roll man) as a PnR screener.