It's safe to say that John Collins was a flop in his first year with the Utah Jazz. To make things worse, he may stick around for the long haul. It's not that he's a bad player. It's that he's paid a lot more than what he's worth.
Collins will enter the fourth year of a five-year, $125 million contract. That's a lot of money for someone who has not made an All-Star team and likely never will. What's worse is that the Jazz allowed 6.6 points per 100 possessions more with Collins on the court - the worst on the team - per NBA.com.
That's why guys like Jordan Clarkson are likelier to show up in the trade rumor mill than Collins. Obviously their skillsets are apples and oranges, but Clarkson's more affordable contract makes him more movable.
While Collins' contract is expensive, it won't last for too much longer since it expires in 2026. Still, after acquiring him turned out to be a bust, getting rid of him seems ideal if they can get his contract off the books. To do so, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley floated two trades that would get Collins out of Utah.
One trade sends Collins to the Memphis Grizzlies
Buckley proposed that the Grizzlies and Jazz do the following trade: Brandon Clarke, John Konchar, Ziaire Williams and the No. 39 pick to the Utah Jazz for John Collins.
He explained why such a trade would appeal to the Grizzlies.
"He would add another potent scoring punch to the mix, while Memphis would provide perhaps an ideal frontcourt partner for him in Jaren Jackson Jr., who can help clear the runway for Collins' rim runs and keep the paint protected behind him."
Buckley did not explain why the Jazz would do this trade, but it would give them an asset along with some potential role players for Collins. If their goal is to get him off their payroll above all else, this trade gives them more flexibility, and it gives them youngish players.
The other trade sends Collins to the Miami Heat
Unlike the Grizzlies trade, Buckley explained his other Collins trade from the Jazz' perspective. He proposed the following swap: John Collins, the No. 29 pick and the No. 32 pick to the Miami Heat for Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin.
Buckley explained why the Jazz would want Robinson and Martin on their squad.
"Robinson is an elite outside shooter who just averaged more than 2.5 triples on 37-plus percent shooting for the fourth time in five seasons. He's overpaid, but so is Collins, so the Jazz might opt for the cleaner fit. Especially if it meant getting Martin, a relentless worker on both ends who's shown flashes of high-end shot-making.
"Martin would have to pick up his below-market $7.1 million player option for this deal to work, but maybe he'd do so with the promise of getting a long-term extension down the road."
The odds of Martin are slim-to-none, knowing how far he's come since joining the Heat. He is in line for a much bigger payday, which the Jazz could offer him if they want.
Hypothetically, if he opted in and agreed to be traded to the Jazz, this would be an amazing return for Collins. Not just because the Jazz get off his deal, but because Robinson and Martin have value that can later be used in another trade down the line.
However, Miami would not accept this kind of deal. Collins would be useful for them, especially knowing their need for a backup for Bam Adebayo, but not for Robinson and Martin, two players that factored into their Cinderella Run to the NBA Finals in 2023.
This is going to be one chaotic summer for the Utah Jazz. Teams will try like crazy either to get that extra push to become a contender or they will try to get under the NBA's tax aprons. Trading Collins will be a tough nut to crack, but knowing how low his current value, it should make for a fun storyline to see what the Jazz get out of him.