NBA Rumors: John Collins PISSED at Hawks; Potential Trade Piece in Ben Simmons Deal

As the Atlanta Hawks continue to emerge as a potential landing spot for Ben Simmons, there's now discussion about Hawks' forward John Collins being a piece that could get this sort of deal done. His unhappiness with his role in Atlanta is no secret. 

Shams Charania is reporting that Collins "has grown increasingly frustrated over his role in Atlanta", according to multiple sources. He reports that Collins "has challenged the Hawks locker room on multiple occasions to play team basketball and commit to one another this season."

John Collins has grown increasingly frustrated over his role in Atlanta, sources tell @ShamsCharania.

Could he be part of a deal for Ben Simmons?

Collins, who signed a 5-year, $125 million deal last offseason, is eligible to be traded on Jan. 15.

More: https://t.co/hOrkTHeJzG pic.twitter.com/Yul3QfHmNW

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) January 10, 2022

The 6'9" power forward, who just signed a massive 5-year $125M deal this past offseason, is at his wit's end with this team, which continues to struggle along in 12th spot in the Eastern Conference, 5 games below .500. 

“I’ve banged my head on the wall a couple of times trying to figure it out myself, there’s really no excuse,” Collins said after a recent loss. “All I can say is it’s unacceptable and we have to dig down and do the things necessary to win or this is going to be the result every night.”

Sixers' president Daryl Morey has insisted on an All-Star return in any Simmons deal, and the Hawks are motivated to get something done to vastly improve their defense. Charania speculates that a deal including Collins and Cam Reddish might be something Morey would look at. 

The trade deadline is Feb. 10th, one month away. 

Photo Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports