Lauri Markkanen del Jazz de Utah celebra con Jordan Clarkson tras anotar durante el partido de la NBA contra los Suns de Phoenix, el viernes 18 de noviembre de 2022, en Salt Lake City. Injuries and slightly larger sample sizes have sparked a bit of trade chatter around the NBA, as the league calendar inches closer to the Dec. 15 trigger date when free agents from this offseason become eligible to be dealt.
But what if Utah is no longer content with joining the race for prized prospect Victor Wembanyama? The Jazz’s interest in Hawks forward John Collins is real, league sources said, and would seem to indicate Utah considering how to add to this winning unit rather than subtract from it. Right now, the likelihood of Collins landing in Salt Lake City, though, seems low. Atlanta approached the Jazz about swapping Collins for Markkanen, sources said, which did not generate any traction.
Finding any home for Collins becomes a difficult task when you consider the Hawks have dangled the talented 25-year-old for several transaction cycles. There was true momentum in a deal with Sacramento during this summer’s draft window, sources said, but the Kings walked away with Kevin Heurter and seem quite happy lighting the beam with this current iteration at Golden 1 Center.
Crowder’s other main suitor, sources told Yahoo Sports, is Milwaukee. Last week, word spread among league personnel that a three-team structure with the Bucks ultimately landing Crowder was gaining momentum, although clearly no deal came to fruition. Rival front offices have been contacted as part of various three-team frameworks that would send Crowder outbound, sources said. Atlanta hasn’t found a direct deal with Phoenix after months of contact.