NBA Rumors: Atlanta Hawks offer John Collins and De'Andre Hunter for former MVP
Nearly two months after Kevin Durant's trade request, the saga continues to be the highlight of the NBA offseason. Perhaps the most surprising suitor in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes is the Atlanta Hawks. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported the Hawks offered a lackluster package in exchange for the former MVP.
A new Western Conference contender is expressing interest in Kevin Durant – fresh Inside Pass at @TheAthletic breaking down the latest on the Nets star:
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"Also in the past month, the Atlanta Hawks offered John Collins, De’Andre Hunter and a draft pick for Durant, according to sources," Charania wrote.
Calling this package insufficient would be an understatement. This offer seems to be undervaluing Durant, perhaps, giving merit to the "Durant is hurting his value" argument. However, it could be the case that the draft pick Charania mentioned is top-5 or top-3 protected.
In any case, the Hawks don't have much to offer. It is unlikely the Nets would be interested in this offer.
2022 NBA offseason highlights
We inch closer to a new NBA season with each passing day. The 2022 offseason saw some exciting acquisitions involving fringe pieces to strengthen already solid cores.
In the West, the LA Clippers' acquisition of John Wall was one of the highlights of the NBA offseason. Wall joined the Clippers after agreeing to a buyout with the Rockets. The Mavericks brought in Christian Wood, projecting a solid pick-and-pop duo.
The Grizzlies, Suns, Pelicans, Nuggets, Lakers, Timberwolves and Blazers all handed out max to supermax extensions to their franchise players, totaling a whopping $1.322 billion.
Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has agreed to a five-year, $264 million supermax contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, the richest deal in NBA history, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Fifth season (2027-28) will be a player option at $60M.
Besides extending Karl Anthony-Towns, the Timberwolves also traded for Rudy Gobert, the offseason's most prominent trade. The reigning champions, the Golden State Warriors, extended Kevon Looney and brought in JaMychal Green and Donte DiVincenzo.
Other notable acquisitions included Malik Monk to the Sacramento Kings and Gary Payton II to the Portland Trail Blazers.
In the East, the Philadelphia 76ers made a few splashes. They extended James Harden at a discounted rate and brought in PJ Tucker using the savings. The Milwaukee Bucks brought back several role players, including Bobby Portis Jr. and Pat Connaughton.
The Washington Wizards handed Bradley Beal a $251 million supermax, with the Bulls and the Cavs extending Zach LaVine and Darius Garland, respectively.
The Knicks acquired Jalen Brunson, and the Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon. The Hawks made headlines with the Dejounte Murray acquisition, whereas the Heat extended Victor Oladipo.