Another day, another wave of rumors ahead of the NBA trade deadline. This latest article from Jake Fischer has a little bit of everything and a lot of Celtics nuggets. I suggest reading through the whole thing.
The one item that jumped out at me isn’t even directly related to the Celtics. It is about the Atlanta Hawks willingness to move John Collins and for less than you would expect him to command.
One team contacted by Atlanta regarding Collins told Bleacher Report the Hawks were only seeking a valuable first-round pick and a starting-caliber player in exchange for the talented young forward.
Other teams believe the Hawks could draw an even higher return. Jerami Grant has been frequently mentioned as a primary trade target for the Hawks this deadline, and Atlanta placed a call to San Antonio about Derrick White, sources said. The Spurs and Mavericks have been considered Collins suitors dating back to the 2020 offseason.
Can the Celtics beat out other bids for his services?
Perhaps we can put the above rumor together with the below information (from the same piece) and come up with a competitive trade package that makes some sense for both sides.
Al Horford’s name has been mentioned more often in trade conversations this week. The 35-year-old has just $14.5 million of next season’s $26.5 million salary guaranteed for any team in search of upcoming cap relief, but there would seem to be a limited market for the veteran center.
Dennis Schroder and Aaron Nesmith continued to be labeled as likely trade candidates by league personnel as well. Getting out of the tax appears to remain a key goal for Boston.
If the Hawks are looking to offload salary, they can use Horford’s non-guaranteed salary to do so this offseason. We can offer up a pick and even a player like Aaron Nesmith to sweeten the pot.
The story will surely change another hundred times before Feb. 10th but this seems like something to at least keep an eye on.
