The Minnesota Timberwolves are aggressively looking to make a big trade ahead of the deadline this year. A lot of rumors have surrounded the future of Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell. One name to keep a close eye on as a potential trade target is Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins.
Over the past couple of weeks, Collins has been repeatedly mentioned as a trade target for the Timberwolves. In fact, it has even been reported that Collins would love to be traded to Minnesota to play alongside Towns.
Now, according to a report from NBA writer Jackie MacMullan, the Timberwolves are “dying” to acquire John Collins from the Hawks.
On The Bill Simmons Podcast (19:30 mark), NBA writer Jackie MacMullan said the Timberwolves are “dying” to trade for the 23-year-old.
Collins would certainly be an interesting fit for the Timberwolves. His offensive game could be a good addition, but he lacks a lot on the defensive end of the court. That could be the main issue with this move for Minnesota.
It has been reported that the Hawks are open to moving Collins as well. He has butted heads at times with Trae Young and that simply doesn’t bode well for him. Collins simply doesn’t seem to be a long-term fit for Atlanta.
So far this season in 38 games with the Hawks, Collins has averaged 17.8 points per game to go along with 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 blocks. He has shot 53 percent from the floor and knocked down 37 percent of his three-point attempts.
Whether or not Collins and Towns would be a good fit alongside each other remains a debate. However, the Timberwolves seem very set on their belief that it would be a good pairing.
Expect to continue hearing about the John Collins to the Timberwolves rumors as the deadline draws closer. Minnesota is wanting to make a move and it shouldn’t be considered unlikely that they will get something done with the Hawks.
