Stars the Chicago Bulls could pair with Zach and Vooch: John Collins
About the most highly coveted player that could hit the restricted free agent market this summer will be the former Wake Forest Demon Deacons star big man and Atlanta Hawks 23-year-old power forward John Collins. This 6-foot-9 and 235 pound Layton, UT, native and Cardinal Newman High School product is having another sensational season in the Peach State.
Collins has really stood out for the Hawks, playing alongside the former Oklahoma Sooner and star point guard Trae Young, the last few seasons. And the 2020-21 campaign is no exception as the Hawks are one of the NBA’s most improved teams top-to-bottom this season. It doesn’t even look like the Hawks are going to need the play-in tournament to make the playoffs this year.
The steady presence of Collins in the frontcourt rotation is a big reason why the Hawks are doing so well this season.
With the Bulls set to potentially lose fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen to the restricted free agent market as well this offseason, Collins could be a realistic target for this team. The two-way nature to his game, along with his versatile skill set could be a more natural fit with the likes of LaVine and Vooch in the Bulls starting five.
A player that is having another big year and could soon get his first career All-Star nod would be a fantastic addition to round out the Bulls big three. So far this season, Collins has posted a solid 1.8 box plus/minus rating, .171 win shares per 48 minutes, 20.5 player efficiency rating, and a 63.1 true shooting percentage.