Breaking: Utah Jazz trade Rudy Gay and a second-round pick for John Collins

Breaking News: According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Utah Jazz have traded Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for John Collins:

After years of rumors connecting the Jazz to Collins, Utah has finally made the move to bring the forward to Salt Lake City. Collins, who currently has three years and $78 million left on his contract, has recently stood as the odd man out in Atlanta’s guard-heavy system. Last season, Collins posted his lowest scoring output since his rookie year, averaging only 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on 50.8% from the field and 29.2% from three. However, throughout his career, Collins has shown flashes of All-Star level production, averaging over 21 points per game and shooting 40.1% from downtown in during the 2019-2020 campaign.

For the Jazz, this stands as a fantastic buy-low deal, sending only Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick to Atlanta. While Collins’ contract may currently overvalue the 25 year old, his opportunities to flourish as a high-flying stretch four nearly evaporated completely in Atlanta. Under Will Hardy and the Utah Jazz, Collins now has an opportunity to rehab his value in a lineup that features himself, Lauri Markkanen, and Walker Kessler. The addition of Collins now makes Utah one of the longest and most athletic teams in the NBA. Prepare yourselves to watch a team which, at the very least, will feature a plethora of fun plays throughout the season:

For a team that holds a bevy of young and talented players, using open cap space to bring in Collins stands as a fantastic win-now move. While there are still questions with who Utah will decide to play at the point guard position, the Jazz have now developed a front court with significant depth and the ability to compete for a playoff spot next season.

Barring any buyout agreements, Gay, who has largely been considered a negative asset, will now return to play for his former coach Quin Snyder with the Hawks. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 37.8% from the field last season for the Jazz.