03-25-2021, 10:58 PM
I think what the Hawks do with Collins depends a lot on the playoffs. As has been pointed out, they're already getting up on the cap and they still got to max out Trae. If they lock in Collins at Max, that's a wrap. That's your team, for better or worse. If they make it a few rounds into the playoffs, you can talk yourself into the idea that it's a young team that has upside yet to reach with continuity. If they struggle down the stretch and get steam rolled in the first round and look a billion miles away from actually contending, they can't lock that in as a franchise foundation for the next 4 years.