The Miami Heat reportedly discussed a deal with the Atlanta Hawks that would have sent Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin and possible draft capital to the Hawks in exchange for forward John Collins.
The Heat are looking to bolster their frontcourt alongside Bam Adebayo ahead of this season’s trade deadline.
“But bolstering up front is still Miami’s priority,” Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney wrote. “They had discussions with Atlanta about John Collins that have since gone dormant, a deal that would potentially send Duncan Robinson and Martin to the Hawks (perhaps with a protected draft pick). Those talks could be rekindled, though there is concern among some with the Heat that Collins and star big man Bam Adebayo would not be a great fit.”
The Hawks reportedly recently lowered their asking price for Collins, which could make him attainable for Miami.
However, the Heat would have to be willing to take on Collins’ contract, which is a pretty hefty deal over the next few seasons. Collins is owed over $25 million in each of the next two seasons and has a player option for over $26 million in the 2025-26 season.
Moving on from Robinson, who has fallen out of Miami’s rotation at times, for a player that would play regularly would be a huge move for Miami. The team would lose assets like Martin and a potential draft pick, but Collins could raise Miami’s ceiling in the East.
At his best, Collins is a solid stretch big. He averaged 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in the 2019-20 season and shot 34.0 percent or better from beyond the arc in each of his professional seasons prior to the 2022-23 campaign.
Collins’ shooting has fallen off this season (22.8 percent from 3), but he still would bring size, rebounding and an inside presence to the Heat if they can agree to a deal.
The former first-round pick is averaging just 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 blocks per game this season while shooting 50.1 percent from the field.
It will be interesting to see if Miami’s package is enough for Atlanta to move on from Collins. The Heat have been working to sell teams on acquiring Robinson at the deadline, but it seems like they’d have to move an asset as well to get a team to take on his contract.
The Heat and Hawks are both currently battling for position in the Eastern Conference with Miami holding the No. 7 seed ahead of Wednesday’s action.
The Hawks have underperformed expectations after making a deal for Dejounte Murray this past offseason. The team may believe that shaking up the roster could help it turn things around this season.
