The Utah Jazz didn’t trade John Collins because he underperformed. The reasoning was quite the opposite, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Tim MacMahon broke down the surprising logic behind Utah’s decision to send Collins to the Clippers as part of a three-team deal that also involved Miami.
“And you know, the problem with John Collins in Utah was he was too damn productive last season,” he said on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective. “I don’t even remember all the injuries they came up with to make sure he didn’t play. But seriously, they limited him to 40 games last year. He played less than half the schedule. He played in 70-plus percent of their wins. They didn’t win a lot, but they won too often with John Collins in the lineup, and he was a reason [they won]. They had to get rid of him. They couldn’t have him on the roster.”
The Jazz were aiming to tank for the top spot in the NBA Draft but ultimately came up short. With Collins putting up 19 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while hitting nearly 40 percent from deep, his presence on the floor threatened their draft odds.
“They couldn’t have him on the roster” if they wanted to maximize their lottery chances, MacMahon says.
Now Collins joins a Clippers squad that will appreciate his production. The forward averaged 1.5 threes per game last season and provided efficient scoring in limited minutes.
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