The Atlanta Hawks wanted and got some financial flexibility after trading John Collins to the Utah Jazz for forward Rudy Gay and a conditional 2026 second-round pick from the Jazz.
The 2026 conditional second-round pick will be sent from Memphis to the Hawks if between 31 and 42.
According to the Hawks, the trade creates a $25.3 million trade exception for Atlanta, currently the largest in the NBA. The exception can be used to acquire a player(s) in subsequent trades and will expire in a year.
Collins has three years and $78 million left on his contract.
“Being able to create financial flexibility moving forward was a major priority for us. The added flexibility will give us greater optionality as we look at opportunities to improve our team,” said Hawks General Manager Landry Fields in a press release. “John was a key contributor our team over the past six seasons and played an instrumental role in helping us become a regular playoff contender.”
Gay, a 17-year veteran, has career averages of 15.8 points on .452 shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 30.9 minutes per game over 1,120 games (779 starts) with Memphis, San Antonio, Sacramento, Toronto, and Utah. Last season in Utah, the 36-year-old appeared in 56 games, averaging 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.
Collins, 25, was selected by the Hawks with the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft.
During the 2022-23 season, he averaged 13.1 points on .508 shooting, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 30.0 minutes in 71 games (all starts).
In six seasons in Atlanta, the forward from Wake Forest has career averages of 15.8 points on .551 shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 block in 29.2 minutes per game in 364 games (313 starts).
