Potential Pieces Involved In Ben Simmons Trade

Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic are two key names to keep an eye on in trade talks for the Hawks leading up to the deadline given their large contracts, but John Collins is the name that could ultimately land Ben Simmons in Atlanta. 

The Hawks and Collins agreed to a five-year, $120M deal this past offseason, but the young power-forward seems mentally exhausted in Atlanta and his frustrations are not just from losing this season. Contract negotiations between the Hawks and John Collins were rough over the last year or so and the two sides really had trouble coming together on a long-term deal. 

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Collins has grown “increasingly frustrated over his role in Atlanta”. This season, John Collins’ numbers have taken a slight hit and it is said that Collins has challenged the Hawks’ locker room on multiple occasions to play better team basketball. 

Between Cam Reddish asking out because he did not want to play in Atlanta and now John Collins being frustrated, it seems like everything is on the verge of unraveling for this franchise, especially if they are to miss the playoffs after just making the Eastern Conference Finals. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: One Trade To Land Ben Simmons With Hawks After Reddish Trade

Trading for the Philadelphia 76ers’ All-Star opens the door for the Hawks to “reboot” themselves while also still being a high-level threat in the Eastern Conference.