Done Deal: Utah Jazz Just Reached A $54 Million Agreement With Hawks Shortly After Considering The….

The Hawks find themselves at a crossroads this offseason, but they may have just enough assets to turn this ship around. Not only does Atlanta have a pair of All-Stars to trade, but the club also owns the No. 1 overall pick after winning the lottery on Sunday.

While the Hawks deal with their own offseason filled with trade rumors and reports, an old friend has once again found himself potentially on the trade block. According to Michael Scotto, the Jazz have several potential items on their offseason agenda, including “potentially exploring the trade market” for Collins.

No player has been mentioned more in trade rumors or reports than John Collins over the last several years, and before last season, a trade finally came to fruition. Utah acquired the forward in what was a pure salary dump, and they even looked to move him at the deadline earlier this year.

“Perhaps the biggest surprise on the trade block is new power forward acquisition John Collins, the source said. The 26-year-old has the lowest on-court/off-court splits of any rotation player on the team, and the team has been frustrated with his slow uptake on learning the Jazz’s system on both ends of the floor. Collins has been a solid shooter and rebounder this season, but hasn’t contributed as much elsewhere,” Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune said back in December.

Hawks fans have seen this song and dance, and Jazz fans should prepare themselves. John Collins averaged 15.1 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 37.1% from deep in Utah this season, which is a drastic improvement from his last couple of seasons in Atlanta.

However, he struggled defensively, and that’s not the biggest issue. What makes this tricky is finding a suitor who will take on the two years and $53.1 million Collins is owed after this season.

Did John Collins and the Jazz showcase enough for a team to trade for his services? Hawks fans know better than any how this could draw out.

Braves get positive update on Austin Riley, Reynaldo Lopez exits early

The Braves got back to their winning ways on Monday night against the Cubs. Carried once again by their pitching staff, Reynaldo Lopez led the way, lowering his ERA to 1.34 after five scoreless innings, allowing just a couple of hits and a couple of walks on 71 pitches.

His exit heading into the sixth inning was quite a surprise, given the Cubs had next to no success against him and it was still a scoreless ball game. However, Brian Snitker said after the win that it was back tightness that led to his removal as a precaution. The expectation is that Lopez will make his next scheduled start.

The last thing the Braves need is another injury, especially to their starting rotation, a unit that is already without Spencer Strider for the rest of the season. To this point, the Braves have been outstanding without their ace, but it’s a slippery slope once injuries begin to pile up. Hopefully, Lopez will be back on the mound within the week. He’s a key reason why the Braves are 25-13 on the season despite a struggling offense.

After the game, Brian Snitker also provided a positive injury update on Austin Riley. The Braves third baseman was not in the lineup Monday after exiting Sunday’s game early with soreness in his midsection. Riley woke up sore again this morning, which led to an MRI that revealed nothing more than inflammation. It looks like he’ll avoid the IL and be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.