Grade the trade: Mavericks trade back in the draft and acquire walking highlight reel

Grading the trade for the Atlanta Hawks

This trade truly helps both teams and Atlanta would be happy to trade into the top 10.

John Collins has been in so many trade rumors, and there's no way that can be easy on him. He's known that his team has been unsure about him for multiple seasons, and giving him a fresh start would benefit both Atlanta and Collins. He has been in Atlanta for six years, and things don't seem to work anymore.

Although Collins had a great first three seasons in the NBA, the last three seasons have not been the best. In Collins' first three seasons, his points per game went up every game. He went from averaging 10.5 points per game as a rookie to 21.6 points per game in his third season.

His trajectory looked like it was going in the right direction, so Atlanta signed him to an extension after his fourth season. Since signing the extension, his game has gone downhill.

He went from averaging 17.6 points per game in his fourth season to 13.1 points per game last season. Collins has also typically disappeared in the playoffs. His points per game averages in the playoffs have always been lower than the regular season.

This isn't me trying to take away from his game, as he is a solid starter in the NBA and would be the third-best player on the Mavericks if they re-sign Kyrie Irving, but his performance has regressed.

Atlanta trades up in the draft while shedding a contract and gaining a shooter off the bench in Davis Bertans. Although Bertans didn't play much last season, he has proved he can contribute when needed, as he did in the 2022 NBA Playoffs for Dallas. He can hit threes in bunches and isn't unplayable yet.

Potential starting lineup: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter, Saddiq Bey, Clint Capela

Atlanta gets a C+ for this trade as it seems they could get a little bit more for Collins, and they are taking back a bad contract with Bertans.