The Atlanta Hawks have acquired forward Rudy Gaye and a conditional 2026 second-round pick in a deal with the Utah Jazz for forward John Collins.
The deal creates a $25.3 million trade exception for Atlanta, currently the largest in the NBA. The exception can be used to acquire player(s) in subsequent deals and will expire in a year. A 2026 conditional second-round pick from Memphis will be sent to the Hawks if he is between 31 and 42.
“The ability to create financial flexibility going forward has been a major priority for us. The added flexibility will give us more choice as we look for opportunities to improve our team,” said Hawks General Manager Landry Fields. “John has been a key contributor to our team over the past six seasons and has played instrumental in helping us become a regular playoff contender. We would like to thank him for his professionalism and leadership over the years and wish him the best at Utah.”
Guy, a 17-year veteran, has career averages of 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 games (779 starts) with Memphis, San Antonio, Sacramento, Toronto and Utah. Last season at Utah, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward appeared in 56 games and averaged 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.
His 1,120 games played ranked fifth among active players, while his 17,642 points ranked ninth. He appeared in 19 post-season games and averaged 14.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 32.5 minutes per game.
Collins was selected by the Hawks with the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. In six seasons in Atlanta, the Wake Forest forward averaged career averages of 15.8 points on 0.551 shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 rebounds. Blocks in 29.2 minutes per game in 364 games (313 starts). During the 2022-23 season, he averaged 13.1 points on 0.508 shooting, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 30.0 minutes in 71 games (all starts).