A John Collins blockbuster trade the Boston Celtics must consider

The 2021-22 season is rapidly approaching the mid-way point and all the Boston Celtics have to show for it is mediocre play and a sub-.500 record of 20-21.

To say this campaign has been a disappointment would be a complete understatement, for, at least when heading into the year, the C’s truly looked to be a team on the upswing after having themselves an active summer that saw much-needed front office shakeups and key rotational adjustments.

Alas, however, nearly three months down and we find Boston gasping for air down in the 10th seed out in the Eastern Conference standings and, in turn, on the brink of enduring yet another mediocre season should they not make necessary adjustments fast.

To many, said adjustments must come via the trade market for this team could certainly use for some talent bolstering outside of the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

With the trade deadline right around the corner, many expect the rumor mill to soon be filled to the brim with names across the league that could find themselves becoming available between now and February 10th.

From outright reports of players being placed on the block to mere speculative inclusions based on rumors of discontent with their current employers, there could be several noteworthy talents being viewed as gettable in the coming weeks and, when it comes to the aforementioned latter category dealing with rumors of discontent, Atlanta big man, John Collins, is a name to keep an eye on moving forward.

Earlier this week it was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic (subscription required) that the 24-year-old power forward has grown increasingly frustrated over his role with the Hawks.

Generally, when it comes to an announcement that a young and rising star in this league is dissatisfied with their current situation, it only takes a matter of time before the flood gates open and fans and media outlets alike start churning out their ideas about how their favorite ball club can go about and land them in a deal.

Being that we here at the Houdini are made up of both fans and media pundits, naturally, we, too, will be continuously thinking up packages that the Boston Celtics could offer up this trade season in order to bring on a potentially available player who could be of great service for the ball club.

As has been established on numerous occasions in the past, we believe that John Collins would be a phenomenal grab for the struggling C’s as they look to embark on a second-half turnaround and we believe this deal listed below must be considered by both parties:

There are a substantial amount of people out there who believe the Boston Celtics must look to address their frontcourt rotation at some point this season, linking players like Myles Turner as quality options to consider pursuing.

Now, while we at HH can certainly get behind the narrative of seeing the C’s addressing their big man unit, we’re more so under the impression that power forward, not center, is the position that must be tended to, and Collins could be an ideal option to consider.

Currently in year five, the big man finds himself once again in the midst of a phenomenal season despite seeing his usage dropping to the second-lowest mark since his rookie campaign (a major reason for his displeasure with the Hawks).

Logging 32.6 minutes per night, Collins is putting up stellar per-game averages of 17.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, two assists, and just over a block per game on 54 percent shooting from the floor and 42 percent shooting from deep.

A tremendous athlete with the ability to flush it home at the rim just as easily as he can stroke it from long range, a talent like Collins has not been seen in the frontcourt for the Boston Celtics in ages now and with him in the mix, they’d be inserting a guy with a career 3-point shooting percentage of 39 percent which, by all accounts, would allow Ime Udoka to effectively run their desired big-ball lineup on offense while also not relenting much on the defensive side of the ball.

Coming aboard with him, the C’s also find themselves bringing on veteran wing Bogdan Bogdanovic to serve as a much-needed offensive sparkplug off the pine to help improve their lowest-rated offense in the league. Even in a down season like this one, the 29-year-old is posting 12.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 37 percent shooting from downtown.

As for the reigning Eastern Conference champion runner-ups, Atlanta finds itself off to a slow start to this year’s campaign, boasting a mere 17-22 record through their first 39 games played, stationing them down in the 12th seen in the conference standings.

With guys like Trae Young, Clint Capela, Danillo Gallinari, and Bogdan Bogdanovic all signed to rather lucrative contracts, the Hawks are a team that’s not going to allow this year to pass them by, which means big changes are almost certainly on the horizon for them as the front office will look to address some of their most glaring weaknesses.

Arguably the team’s biggest issue this season has been found on the defensive side of the ball, particularly when it comes to perimeter defense.

On top of the fact that they rank 22nd as a team in defensive efficiency, the Hawks also are finding that 63 percent of those who have scored 20-plus points on 50-plus percent shooting from the field against them have been guards.

Because of this, it likely would be an intelligent move for the Hawks to try and get some much-needed backcourt assistance alongside star Trae Young to mask this very real problem, and what potential option would be smarter for them to acquire than… well, Marcus Smart?

Easily one of the best defenders in the league today, the Boston Celtics guard would automatically be able to step in and serve as a true bulldog on the less glamorous side of the ball and, in turn, be able to take on the more challenging opposing guard assignments, thus giving Young a major break and, as a result, save his energy for offensive possessions.

As an added perk, Smart would also be able to provide more playmaking, specifically in the facilitation game, for Atlanta has no one outside of their franchise cornerstone who can properly run an offense and set up others for scoring situations. While the second-leading assists per game average on the team is currently just 2.7, Boston’s guard holds a career average of 4.3 dimes dished per game and, so far this year, is leading the team with 5.3 a night.

Alongside Marcus Smart Atlanta would also find themselves reuniting with their former All-Star big man, Al Horford, to serve as mainly a salary filler but also as a veteran presence for this still rather youthful team, a mentor for the second-year talent Onyeka Okongwu, and, simply, a rotational player who can fill in at either the four or the five for some quality minutes off the pine.

And, to top things off, the Boston Celtics also send the Hawks Josh Richardson to serve as a valuable two-way backcourt contributor, thus further improving their defensive potential, 2020 lottery-selected wing Aaron Nesmith, and a 2023 top-10 protected first-round pick.

Shoring up serious weaknesses within both teams’ rotations, this proposed trade could prove to be a real win-win for this year as well as for the next several seasons to come.