With the trade deadline quickly approaching (Thursday, February 6), the Sacramento Kings will be looking to improve their roster by adding some more size, spacing, and defense.
One player that has been floated around as a potential option for the team is Utah Jazz forward John Collins. And in a hypothetical trade posited by Kings Reporter Matt George, the Kings end up trading for Collins. In this post, we take a look at the trade proposition and grade the deal for both sides.
Before we begin, here is the trade:
My best guess of what a John Collins/Kings trade looks like.
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) January 24, 2025
The hangup is likely pick protections. If Ainge is asking for more (like another pick swap), he's nuts. pic.twitter.com/DYgXWJDXsh
Sacramento Kings
We'll start with the team that you are ~ probably ~ here to read about. In this deal, the Kings would be trading Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, and a top 8 protected first round pick in exchange for Collins' services.
Collins is having a great season with the Jazz, averaging 18.1 PPG/8.4 RPG/2.5 APG while shooting 44.6% from three and posting a block rate in the 76th percentile. However, he isn't a good enough defender (last year, he finished in the 2nd percentile in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, per Dunks & Threes) or spacer (25th percentile in 3-point volume) to truly help this Kings team take the next level.
The Kings would likely part with one or both of Kevin Huerter or Trey Lyles in any trade that they are part of this trade deadline cycle, but Collins isn't a clean enough fit to make it worth losing two rotational pieces for him. As for the pick, a top-eight protection doesn't seem secure enough in this instance. It'd seem like a better deal if the pick was lottery-protected.
Grade: C-
Utah Jazz
As for the Jazz, being able to get a lightly protected pick for Collins is a huge win for them, especially when you consider how low his value was when they acquired him in the 2023 offseason.
Given the Jazz's status as bottom-feeders in the Western Conference, they won't have much use for veterans like Huerter and Lyles. Their purpose in this deal is solely to be salary matchers. Although, the team may be able to get a couple of second round picks for Huerter next season.
Grade: A-