With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant expected to stick around for a least one more season, the Brooklyn Nets are sure to be buyers, not sellers, this offseason.
And, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins is on their radar as a potential target, though a deal remains far off at this point in time.
Outside of San Antonio, there doesn’t appear to be any serious active trade conversation surrounding Collins. Sacramento, Portland, Boston and Brooklyn all registered some level of interest in Collins around the draft, but none of those teams appear far along with Atlanta on Collins deals at this juncture.
In Atlanta, the Hawks are going all-in on winning a title as soon as possible, and their trade on Wednesday proves it. Somehow, they were able to land San Antonio’s Dejounte Murray without giving up John Collins. It gives them a solid backcourt tandem that should put the Hawks squarely in the playoff picture next season.
For the Nets, the situation is much more volatile. Durant and Irving are sticking around for now, but things could turn sour really fast if they have another season like they just did. Collins, even at 24 years old, can help Brooklyn avoid such a disaster.
In 54 games this season, Collins averaged 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1 block per game on 52% shooting.
But Collins isn’t the only name Brooklyn is pursuing. Apparently, a Russell Westbrook deal may still be on the table.
“I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that I think that this is gonna happen in the next two days, but if the Nets don’t get to a place with Kyrie Irving where they think that things will improve, I think they’ll revisit this… I don’t think it’s impossible that they revisit this down the line.”
Whatever happens over the next few weeks, Brooklyn will have its hands full trying to recover after such a disappointing season. With so many questions about what is to come, there is a real sense of fear and uncertainty amongst the fans.
Acquiring Collins would certainly be a great place to start in turning things around, and it would definitely inspire some excitement and faith in what the team can accomplish moving forward.
