3 surprising teams who could be in the mix to trade for John Collins

2. Indiana Pacers

Prying Tyrese Haliburton away from the Sacramento Kings has given the Pacers surprising life this season. Instead of being bogged down in a total rebuild, Indiana has been hovering around .500 most of the season.

The timing might not be right for a win-now move for Indiana, but Collins would give their starting five a meaningful boost. He is a much better player than current Pacers’ starting power forward Aaron Nesmith. Collins is a superior scorer and rebounder than the undersized Nesmith.

Collins’s ability to stretch the floor as a perimeter shooter and big man who can finish lobs around the rim would open up the floor for Haliburton and rookie Benedict Mathurin as they develop. Indiana doesn’t have a forward with Collins’ kind of talent on the current roster.

The big question here is whether or not the Pacers can land Collins without giving up center Myles Turner in the deal. It’s difficult to find matching salary combinations without the veteran center. The Hawks might be interested in taking him on to help improve their rim protection.

The timing might not be right for Indiana to sacrifice future draft capital to land a player like Collins but it’s an interesting thought exercise for the Pacers if they want to move up the Eastern Conference standings.