Jazz predicted to regret paying John Collins' contract, but there is some upside
By Matt John
John Collins' contract is an elephant in the room the Jazz likely won't be able to ignore for the next two seasons. It's not an optimal situation, but it's not as bad as many think it is.
That hasn't stopped Collins from being singled out among the worst NBA contracts. Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus even named him as the contract the Utah Jazz will regret paying the most.
Pincus explained why he chose Collins and why he doesn't make much sense on the Jazz.
"He's an NBA rotation player/borderline starter, but his salary doesn't match production," Pincus wrote. "The Hawks faced serious financial issues with their payroll, but Utah sent a second-round pick to Atlanta to take Collins into its cap space.
"It didn't make a lot of sense at the time and hasn't aged particularly well."
For that, Pincus said the Jazz regret level for paying Collins would be a six out of 10.
Collins will enter the fourth year of a five-year, $125 million contract. The Jazz will have to pay him $53.2 million over the next two seasons for someone who will likely come off the bench pending any surprises.
The Jazz have tried to trade Collins, but he doesn't have a market, seeing how teams are now being more cautious than ever with how they spend their money. Hence, it would not surprise anyone if Collins finishes his contract in Utah.
To be fair, the Jazz acquired Collins because they weren't sure what direction they were going in and got him for pretty much nothing. Because the Jazz didn't take the step they hoped they would, and Collins looked far from a seamless fit, it looks worse now than it did a year ago.
Why there's upside to the John Collins situation
Pincus brought something else up about Collins that is worth mentioning.
"Collins' contract is short, so the Jazz may be able to turn him around when he's expiring."
So, despite him being overpaid, the Jazz won't have to worry about him being a problem past 2026. It's why he could be attractive down the line for anyone who wants an expiring contract or a center who won't eat too much of their cap room. Hence, the Jazz can capitalize on a misfire.
But that's not the only upside to this. Reading the rest of Pincus' article, there are players who, while not necessarily worse than Collins, they are paid much more on teams that really don't need them. Players like Jordan Poole on the Wizards, Jerami Grant on the Trail Blazers, Andrew Wiggins on the Warriors, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Sure, the Jazz would be better off getting rid of him, but their timeline allows them the flexibility to swallow Collins' contract, and it won't hurt them at all in the long term. A rebuild allows that benefit.
Compare that to the other teams who have contracts they wish they could get off of, and honestly, while this situation with Collins is great, it could be much worse.