During the 2023 offseason, the Utah Jazz made one significant acquisition: they traded for John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks. They just had to give up a future second-round selection and Rudy Gay, who ultimately decided to retire, in exchange for this deal.
Collins’ time in Atlanta had obviously come to an end. His shooting percentage had dropped, he was viewed as a roster fill-in, and the future of his $25 million contract did not appear bright. It made a lot of sense for the Jazz to test-drive Collins early in the rebuilding process.
The Utah Jazz only completed one significant trade to acquire John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks during the 2023 offseason. The only things they had to give up were a future second-round pick and Rudy Gay, who ultimately decided to retire.
Collins was obviously out of time in Atlanta. He was viewed as a benchwarmer on the team, his shooting percentage had dropped, and the future of his $25 million contract did not appear bright. Kicking the tyres on Collins made a lot of sense for the Jazz early in the rebuilding process.
However, it is crucial to keep in mind that even some of the top basketball players require some time to become used to a new environment. Mike Conley needed a whole year and a half to truly feel at home in Utah, and he also needed some time to settle into a rhythm with his new team in Minnesota the previous season. If Rudy Gobert from Minnesota is any indication, it took him an entire season to truly establish himself with the Timberwolves. Today, he is a four-time DPOY playing for one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
