Lakers Jazz negotiate Collins trade! The U.S. media listed a three-way trade framework to find a new partner for Doncic

On June 19, Beijing time, Jazz reporter Andy Larsen broke the news on the show that the Lakers and the Jazz had negotiated a trade for John Collins. The Lakers are looking for a suitable interior partner for Doncic in the offseason, and Collins is also one of the potential targets.

"As far as I understand, there has been a discussion between the Lakers and the Jazz about John Collins. The Warriors briefly became interested in him around the trade deadline, but then they got Jimmy Butler. I don't think the Warriors' plan is viable from a contract standpoint alone. Collins was efficient enough last season and there should be teams in the league interested in him. However, I don't expect the Jazz to get much value back in these deals. ”

If the Jazz don't count on trading Collins for a high-value asset, it could be an extremely favorable deal for the Lakers. Collins has opted to exercise his player option for the 2025-26 season with an annual salary of $26.58 million, the final year of his five-year, $125 million contract signed as an Hawks player in 2021.

In 2024-25, Collins averaged 19.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game. A player who is a threat both inside and outside, he shot 52.7 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from three-point range, but played in just 40 games due to ongoing injury issues.

The Lakers have also been rumored to have had an affair with Jazz center Kessler, but they need to pay more chips to get him. In contrast, Collins could be an excellent candidate for a "bargain buy."

Of course, if the Lakers can get Kessler at the same time, then the Collins trade will be a "two-bird with one stone" operation — the 23-year-old Kessler will be paid just $4.8 million a year next season and can meet other key needs that Collins can't cover. However, before the Lakers are "greedy", it is more interesting to watch the progress of the current negotiations and whether the discussion around Collins will be the foreshadowing for a bigger trade.

As for what kind of framework this deal will be, Sports Illustrated has listed a three-way deal plan, which is as follows -

Hawks get: Knechter, 2026 first-round swap (from Lakers)

Lakers get: John Collins, Gayer, 2027 Cavaliers second-round pick (from Hawks), 2023 second-round pick (from Hawks)

Jazz get: Vanderbilt, Vincent, 2031 first-round pick (from Lakers, top-10 protected)

Do you think Collins is a good fit for the Lakers and Doncic? Feel free to leave a message to express your opinions.