John Collins Reportedly NOT Close in Talks With Atlanta Hawks

Power forward John Collins was a key member of the Atlanta Hawks' run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and rumors as recently as Saturday had the Hawks intent on bringing the restricted free agent back in the fold. But not so fast, according to NBA Insider Shams Charania, who explains the current situation here:

Latest on Atlanta Hawks and restricted free agent John Collins: pic.twitter.com/FP4NemyiDi

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 2, 2021

Shams says the Hawks and Collins are "NOT close to an agreement", and as he notes, "that might come as a surprise to some people."

As noted here a couple of weeks back, there are a couple of big suitors for Collins, including teams with a lot of spending cash under the salary cap. 

The expected outcome, according to the earlier cited story from Bleacher Report, was a long-term deal in excess of $120 million dollars between the Hawks and their RFA big man. But that may be taking an unexpected turn. 

Expect Dallas and San Antonio to jump in if the Hawks leave the door open just a crack. 

The 6'9" power forward averaged 17.6 points and 7.4 rebounds this season, while shooting at 55.6% clip from the field, and 39.9% from behind the arc.

Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports