Unpacking John Collins role and impact in the Utah Jazz rebuild

How has John Collins impacted the Utah Jazz

John Collins signed a 5yr/$125M contract in the 2021 offseason. At the time that contract seemed fair, Collins was playing a large role on a young, up-and-coming team, the Atlanta Hawks. This past offseason the Utah Jazz bought low and sent the Hawks F Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick in exchange for Collins. Collins joined a team who are fresh into their rebuild and just drafted a player who plays the same position as him in Taylor Hendricks. So how does John Collins fit in the future of the Utah Jazz?

In his first five seasons with Atlanta, Collins averaged 37 percent on around 3 threes a game. In the 2022-23 season, Collins’s stats fell off a cliff. Averaging his lowest points per game since his rookie season, shooting the worst percentage from three of his career, and had his worst rebounding season all while averaging 30 minutes per game.

In March of 2022, John Collins sprained his right ring finger in a game against the Detroit Pistons. This injury marked a steep drop off in his three-point shooting, dropping from 37 percent to 29.2 percent efficiency. His next season in Atlanta he was constantly in trade rumors, but no team would take him for the asking price. The Hawks would finish the 2022-23 season by losing to the Boston Celtics 4-2 in the playoffs. Game six would end up being Collins’s last time suiting up for Atlanta.

On July 7th, 2023, the trade to Utah officially materialized. Only a few weeks prior, the Jazz had chosen a promising young forward, Taylor Hendricks, as the 9th overall pick. With Collins joining the team, he quickly became one of the more veteran players on the roster.

Although only eleven games into the season, Collins is showing a lot of progression. He is shooting 42.5 percent on 3.6 three-pointers a game per StatMuse.com. But as an older player on a young team and a talented rookie looking to eventually take over the starting spot, where does this leave Collins’s future?

Danny Ainge has proven time and time again during his time in Boston and Utah that he is not afraid to trade an asset when he can get good value out of it. I would be surprised if John Collins spent the final three years of his contract in Salt Lake City.