Getty Image / Bryan Cereijo
Trade rumors regarding John Collins and the Atlanta Hawks have been ongoing for an incredibly long time.
Well, on Monday, the front office finally struck a deal, sending the star power forward to the Utah Jazz.
However, what the Hawks got in return is quite a bit lower than what people were expecting. As a result, Atlanta is getting torched online.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hawks are sending John Collins to the Jazz in return for Rudy Gay and a future second-round draft pick.
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
Clearly, this was a move for Atlanta to free up some cap space. It’s believed the team is going to continue building around Trae Young. However, more trades could be in play for the Hawks, per Woj.
The Hawks are expected to continue to be in a deal-making mode this offseason and ownership has given GM Landry Fields the OK to move into the luxury tax should it be necessary to improve the roster, sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2023
Meanwhile, the Jazz acquire a solid power forward, giving them a sneaky good roster in the Western Conference.
As you can imagine, plenty of fans prefer the Jazz side of the deal, which has led to some hilarious takes about the Hawks.
Rudy Gay and a 2nd? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/adFNfp0x4Y
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) June 26, 2023
Rudy Gay has been in the league for a LONG time.
And wow, Rudy Gay is still in the league, is he 50 now?
— Rainmakers (@Rainmakers28) June 26, 2023
If the Hawks got a bag of Spicy Nacho Doritos then it might actually be a good deal for them.
After three years of trade rumors he got traded for a bag of chips
— No Context Pro Wrestling (@0ProWrestling) June 26, 2023
After this move, would it make sense to trade Trae Young too?
Trae to the lakers next 🔜
— jah (@sntjah) June 26, 2023
Danny Ainge in his bag.
Danny Ainge Working
— GreenRunsDeep (@CelticsGRD) June 26, 2023
Did anybody else think Rudy Gay was retired?
I swear Rudy Gay played with Michael Jordan
— Rainmakers (@Rainmakers28) June 26, 2023
It’ll be interesting to see what the Hawks do now after the John Collins trade. There is a chance they take a big swing in free agency, but we won’t know how that plays out until Friday, June 30 at least.
On the other hand, the Jazz just got that much better, as Collins has a real chance to bounce back in a similar way Lauri Markkanen did last season.
With that said, keep an eye on Atlanta, as they could be in play for another trade. Especially if the front office decides to go into a rebuild again.