Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

OKC Thunder: One free agent target from every Eastern Conference team

By Tamberlyn Richardson

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 30: John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the New York Knicks in the first half during game four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at State Farm Arena on May 30, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 30: John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the New York Knicks in the first half during game four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at State Farm Arena on May 30, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 16
Next
OKC Thunder
OKC Thunder trade options: John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Hawks

2021 Free Agents:

  • John Collins (restricted)
  • Brandon Goodwin (restricted)
  • Solomon Hill
  • Nathan Knight (restricted)
  • Skylar Mays (restricted)
  • Tony Snell
  • Lou Williams

2021 Draft Picks:

  • Forward Jalen Johnson (20th)
  • Guard  Sharife Copper (48th)

Intentions readers won’t be surprised by my choice of John Collins. While Atlanta spent the last offseason shoring up their depth and doling out big contracts to Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic,  they decided not to offer Collins the max. Granted the Hawks reportedly still came to the table with an offer in the $90 million range. Collins declined the offer choosing to bet on himself.

With all the added depth it meant the big man’s overall production suffered. Yet he gained respect by not forcing the situation to pad his stats and bolster his value. Having played in his first postseason and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, Collins has every reason to want to return to Atlanta. But that doesn’t mean he won’t entertain offers from other franchises especially if the Hawks don’t come correct out of the gate.

Travis Schlenk pegged Collins as a priority to re-sign but he’ll need to navigate the situation with one eye on the future as next summer both Trae Young and Kevin Huerter will be up for their extensions.

JC wants a max deal and is one of the few young bigs who is capable of averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds while shooting effectively from deep (39.9 percent).

OKC lacks depth up front and the 23-year-old fits the current Thunder timeline. As a restricted free agent Atlanta can match any offer JC gets. Intentions believe Presti should make Collins their top free-agent priority, extend the big offer sheet and force the Hawks to match.  ESPN ranks Collins as the best available power forward in the market suggesting a yearly salary range of $24 to $26 million.

Home/Thunder Free Agency