Should the Sixers trade for John Collins?
PROS
- Essentially, this would have to be a swap engineered around Tobias Harris. And, despite John Collins struggling out of the gates in 2022-23, he is — simply put — a higher caliber of player than Harris.
- Collins would change the dynamic of Philadelphia’s offense in interesting ways. He’s an elite vertical threat and a dynamic pick-and-roll partner for James Harden. He can pop out to the 3-point line, face up and score from the elbow, or rumble down the lane for powerful finishes at the rim.
- He’s a good enough shooter. Meanwhile, Collins is a significantly better rebounder than Harris and a more interesting scorer inside the arc. He would provide more dynamism as a cutter or operating in the dunker’s spot.
- Collins has made some strides as a shot-blocker and rim protector. He would give the defense more length around the basket and could help bolster Philly’s size advantage in certain matchups.
- He would eradicate any concerns about having a legitimate stopgap behind Embiid at center. You can comfortably slide Collins to the five spot as needed and he could buy Embiid some extra rest in the regular season.
CONS
- Harris is not exactly a paragon of defensive versatility, but he does provide more flexibility than Collins in certain matchups. The Sixers don’t want Collins switching onto guards or being asked to defend consistently in space. He’s not a downgrade from Harris on defense, but he’s ultimately not really an upgrade either.
- Collins takes half as many 3s per game as Harris and he’s struggling copiously this season (21.9 percent). The efficiency should elevate back to the norm eventually but he’s simply not the same caliber of floor-spacer.
- The rare trade proposal where I’m not entirely convinced the Sixers are swapping Harris for a better fit. I think Collins is a better overall player, but when you factor team context into the equation there’s a strong case that Harris is the cleaner fit — mainly because of his perimeter shooting volume.
- Collins has butted heads with Trae Young over the years and has been the source of trade rumors for multiple seasons now. It would be fair to speculate that he’s not the greatest source of locker room stability.