John Collins: My growth in Atlanta was being stunted
Clutchpoints: “This one definitely stung… But as I see it, it is this hawks time to fly away from the nest. As my growth here is being stunted… And my business in Atlanta has come to an end. I can only hope y’all love me like I do y’all! … Until next time……BAPTIST OUT! 
🏽” John Collins with a heartfelt goodbye to the Atlanta Hawks after being traded to the Utah Jazz this summer 
Source: Twitter
🏽” John Collins with a heartfelt goodbye to the Atlanta Hawks after being traded to the Utah Jazz this summer Source: Twitter
More on this storyline
Tim Bontemps: In past years, teams like Indiana and San Antonio have gone into the regular season with tens of millions of salary cap space sitting and unused. Because teams only had to eventually get to the salary cap floor at some point during the season — and, if they didn’t, the only “penalty” was cutting a check to the players on their roster — there was no need to spend money teams didn’t want to. Now, though, the rules are far different. Fail to reach the salary floor by the start of the regular season and the money teams receive in luxury tax payments is impacted. Therefore, we saw all of the cap space teams this summer make aggressive moves to take on money. Some of them, like Houston and Indiana, spent big on free agents. Utah took a flier on John Collins, a talented player in need of a change in scenery. -via ESPN / July 27, 2023
Trae Young on John Collins being traded to Utah: “It’s definitely tough seeing him go but at the same time like you know this is the business. JC knows that too like we’ve had conversations over the years and we’re so close that we noticed in the business if we don’t win things can change in a heartbeat. Me as a teammate I loved playing with JC I’ve throwing a lot of lobs to him he’s made me look really good a lot. I’ve always appreciated JC and I wish him nothing but the best.” -via YouTube / July 14, 2023
For John Collins, the trade talk is over. Finally. The power forward is now a member of the Utah Jazz after what seems like years of trade rumors. Collins spoke to the Jazz’s website on Sunday after being officially introduced. “I was excited going to a place that I knew really wanted me and was trying to have me in the organization,” Collins said. “You know, it’s always very nice to hear and know coming to a place that really wants you and wants you to excel here. “It’s a big sigh of relief knowing that all the talk and trade talks are over and can go to my new home and start a new home.” -via Atlanta Journal-Constitution / July 9, 2023