The end of an era has officially arrived. The Hawks announced that the trade that sent forward John Collins to the Utah Jazz has officially gone through.
In exchange, the Hawks received forward Rudy Gay, as well as a conditional second-round pick.
The teams could not formalize the deal until the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement began.
As previously reported, the trade created a $25.3 million trade exception for the Hawks, which is currently the largest in the NBA. The exception can be used to acquire a player or players in subsequent trades and will expire in one year.
The 2026 conditional second-round pick comes to the Hawks via the Grizzlies if it falls between picks No. 31 and No. 42.
“Being able to create financial flexibility moving forward was a major priority for us,” Hawks general manager Landry Fields said in a statement provided by the team. “The added flexibility will give us greater optionality as we look at opportunities to improve our team. John was a key contributor to our team over the past six seasons and played an instrumental role in helping us become a regular playoff contender. We would like to thank him for his professionalism and leadership over the years and we wish him the best in Utah.”
In Gay, the Hawks get a 17-year veteran, something that they have needed in the locker room. According to people familiar with the situation, though, the Hawks could try to trade Gay. If a deal is unlikely, they could waive him.
Gay has averaged 15.8 points on .452 shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 30.9 minutes per game over 1,120 NBA games. Last season with the Jazz, he 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.
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