On the same day the Atlanta Hawks introduced their next generation of players, they sent their longest-tenured player out the door.
“In a deal that delivers the franchise some dramatic financial flexibility, the Atlanta Hawks are trading forward John Collins to the Utah Jazz,” wrote ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski on June 26. “The Hawks and Jazz have discussed numerous iterations of the deal for over a year.”
Wojnarowski went on to explain that the remaining balance of Collins’ five-year, $125 million contract – some $78-plus million over the next three seasons – essentially limited what the Hawks could get back.