Last year, the Atlanta Hawks and their promising forward John Collins failed to come to an agreement on a contract extension.
But the Hawks are not ready to let go of the 23-year-old that easily, as they reportedly extended to him a qualifying offer.
Atlanta has extended the qualifying offer to John Collins, which makes him a restricted free agent, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Collins is one of the top free agents on the market.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 22, 2021
This move makes Collins a restricted free agent. If the Wake Forest University product decides to sign an offer sheet with another team, Atlanta would have the option to match the terms of that offer.
Collins is expected to be one of the hottest restricted free agents this offseason.
His combination of size, athleticism and ability to hit outside shots will certainly attract several suitors. He has career averages of 16.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.0 block per game. The 6-foot-9 forward is also shooting 38.0 percent from beyond the arc in his career.
However, Collins might want to run it back with the Hawks after a successful 2020-21 season.
After a rough start to the season, Atlanta made its way to the playoffs. It even reached the Eastern Conference Finals, where it lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Collins had a solid playoff debut, averaging 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest in 18 games.
