OKC Thunder: 2 potential trades to acquire John Collins

Why the OKC Thunder need to jump on acquiring John Collins

Complicating the situation in Atlanta is many of the players added this offseason have missed numerous games so it’s difficult to assess their team. Defensive specialist Kris Dunn has yet to make his debut and will no doubt help protect Young on that side of the floor.

Bogdan Bogdanovic suffered an avulsion fracture to his knee which has resulted in him missing the last 16 games. Additionally, Danilo Gallinari (12), Rajon Rondo (11), Onyeka Okongwu (16), and Tony Snell (11) have all missed significant time, and DeAndre Hunter will be out until April after suffering an articular tear in his knee.

The depth of the Hawks roster is significant but until they get all the players healthy and have an opportunity to build chemistry it’s hard to predict precisely how effective they can be. Moreover, this friction between Collins and Young isn’t going away.

Ultimately, it’s a balancing act because Collins is producing but if their two young stars can’t get on the same page it seems to be forcing Atlanta’s hand to move Collins now in order to appease  Young and hope that when everyone is healthy their depth will help accumulate enough wins to reach postseason play.

The Hawks priority is competing right now so while our proposed trades will include future draft picks they need to include assets Atlanta would deem useful this postseason.

For those in the fanbase who might feel the Thunder are better served to stick entirely to rebuilding through draft picks it’s important to recognize Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already delivering at an All-Star level.

Just as Sam Presti committed to previous OKC Thunder cornerstone talents he needs to do the same with the Canadian. My cohort Mark Nilon offered an insightful look at how Gilgeous-Alexander could be on the precipice of history.

The Mavericks and Hawks accelerated their timelines to bolster their depth based on Luka Doncic and Trae Young producing perhaps faster than they originally anticipated. With SGA’s ascent, Presti should also pursue this option.

With 18 picks in the next seven years, it’s feasible to capitalize by adding top prospects and simultaneously use picks (especially in years after 2022 where the Thunder possesses multiple picks) to acquire existing NBA talent(s).

Coincidentally, these above squads are at the heart of the two deals Intentions suggest the Thunder pursue in an effort to add a quality talent of Collins ilk on the same timeline as SGA and the young core.