Portland Trail Blazers: Rating the Blazers top 4 Draft Day trade rumors
Rob Ryan
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Trade rumor #4- Portland Blazers acquire John Collins and the #16 pick from the Atlanta Hawks for the #7 pick (and maybe more).
Likelihood of this trade happening- 20%
It’s known around the league that the Atlanta Hawks are trying to move starting power forward John Collins. His pairing with Trae Young wasn’t exactly the success the team had hoped for, which is why he could be available. Some rumors have Collins headed to Rip City straight up for #7. Others throw the #16 pick back to Portland. If there is any truth to the addition of #16, then Portland should jump all over this deal.
How much would John Collins help Portland?
Short answer – A LOT. Collins is just two seasons removed from averaging 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Those numbers included him shooting 58 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.
His last two seasons have seen slight dips in his numbers as Atlantas’ offense shifted more toward Trae Young-centered. At 6’9″, Collins has more of a prototypical power forward body with the outside shooting touch to space the floor. In a pick and roll offense with Damian Lillard, he would be a nightmare for opposing teams.
In conclusion
Adding up all the likelihood percentages, I think there is a 75 percent chance that one of these four trades will happen. That last 25 percent? About 20 are trades we haven’t heard of yet, and the other 5 percent is the slight chance I believe that the Portland Trail Blazers will keep the pick. It would be a huge win if Portland could capture two of the four players mentioned in these rumors. If not, they shouldn’t severely overpay and handicap themselves for the one player acquired.
Regardless of how it goes down, I expect this might be the most anticipated and exciting draft night the Portland Trail Blazers have had since maybe the 2006 draft. They wheeled and dealt veterans, contracts, and picks in that draft and somehow wound up with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Let’s see what Joe Cronin and company can accomplish on draft night in 2022
What do you think about the Trail Blazers trade rumors? Let us know in the comments section below.