Bucks Linked to Newly Added Jazz F John Collins Amid Uncertain Future

You can tell the NBA season is getting closer because rumors are starting to swirl again. With training camp set to kick off in less than two weeks, one intriguing piece of Utah Jazz news came via ESPN insider Zach Lowe on the Lowe Post Podcast over the weekend. When talking about the unclear future between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, Lowe reported that the Bucks had interest in John Collins this summer.

The high-flying forward who got dealt to Utah during the offseason was an integral piece of NBA trade rumors during his time with the Atlanta Hawks. With a muddy cap sheet, Atlanta traded Collins and the remaining $78.5 million to Utah for Rudy Gay and second-round draft pick; a salary dump. Despite the contract, Collins is a talented young forward who is a prime candidate for a bounceback season with the Jazz.

If Milwaukee feels the pressure to go all in on this season, Lowe suggested Collins as a name the Bucks could circle back to:

“They kicked the tires on John Collins who got traded to Utah for nothing really, maybe that's a name... If you’re a Jazz fan you might say, ‘Really, one first-round pick?’ That 2029 first-round pick, if it's unprotected, is going to be considered very very valuable around the league because of the uncertainty around the Bucks' future.”

This situation feels somewhat similar to the boat the Jazz were in last year, packaging Mike Conley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in exchange for a Lakers 2027 first-round pick. Considering the age of LeBron James, the injury history of Anthony Davis, and the lack of assets to improve their team, the Jazz bet that the pick they acquired from the Lakers would be a valuable chip for them.

Milwaukee is in a similar situation with Antetokounmpo’s future up in the air and aging veterans in Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez, a future pick could be a lottery ticket.

While I do not see the Jazz looking to move a piece they seemed so excited about acquiring, it is worth mentioning that the Jazz front office has continually stated that their only goal is building a championship team. If there is a deal out there Utah thinks will get them closer to that goal, they will pull the trigger.

In my opinion, the more likely scenario is that Collins has a rejuvenated season after a change of scenery, becoming a key piece of an exciting new era of Jazz basketball.

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