Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Bleacher Report took an in-depth look at all 30 NBA franchises and picked out one contract per team that might be regretted in the future. So which one Utah Jazz Was John Collins’ contract considered the most team-unfriendly? Just look at the two years remaining on John Collins’ contract, which pays $53.16 million over the next two years.
“Collins’ contract is short, so the Jazz may be able to rotate him when it expires. He’s an NBA rotation player/borderline starter, but his salary doesn’t match his production.”
“The Hawks faced serious financial problems with their payroll, but Utah sent a second-round pick to Atlanta to take Collins into its salary cap.”
“It didn’t make much sense at the time and hasn’t aged particularly well.” — Eric Pincus
It’s safe to say that the Jazz failed in the Collins trade last offseason, which was essentially a salary-cutting move on the part of the Atlanta HawksCollins put up decent numbers in his first season in Salt Lake City, but it still doesn’t justify the money that has to be paid for his services.
Collins has a player option for the 2025-26 season, making it difficult to trade him until his contract expires next season. That creates problems for the rebuilding Jazz in a season where player development must be a priority.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy will want to see what they have to offer Taylor Hendricks and Kyle Filipowski at power forward this year. Collins played 28 minutes per game in his first year with the Jazz. One storyline to watch this season is whether Utah prioritizes minutes for unproven players over veterans who don’t fit Utah’s long-term goals.
Former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson is another player in this category. Clarkson also has two more years on his contract, and it will be difficult to move him before the end of the year. The Jazz have Isaiah Collier, Bryce Sensabaugh and Cody Williams, who need consistent players at the NBA level. Will Clarkson get starting minutes even though he is not expected to be part of Utah’s future?
The Jazz could give Clarkson and Collins minutes in hopes that their trade value will increase. However, that hasn’t worked for Utah in the past. Talen Horton-Tucker and Rudy Gay come to mind as players who have blocked development minutes for rookies.
Horton-Tucker has signed with the The Chicago Bulls in free agency, and Gay was part of the trade that brought Collins to Utah. That sets up some interesting decisions for Utah’s management as they approach the third season of their rebuild.
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