Between the start of the regular season and the trade deadline, the only way John Collins would remain an LA Clipper is if he won over Lawrence Frank into opening up extension conversations. At one point, he was the Clippers’ top asset to be sold at the deadline, yet Collins has made it increasingly challenging to trade him, as January worked miracles on his value.
In fact, over the last five games, Collins has averaged 16.5 points and 6.8 rebounds, shooting 73.5% from the floor and 64.3% from beyond the arc. He has been automatic from the field, while drilling three-pointers on a respectable volume of 3.5 attempts per game.
Additionally, Collins has only missed one game this season. He played a total of 40 games for the Utah Jazz last season, and not even halfway through the first month of 2026, the veteran big man is almost there; he is on a near-80-game pace.
That said, the Clippers’ plans with Collins will evidently change. They could either raise his value and trade him for more, or retain-and-extend, keeping him in Inglewood, California, in the long term.
The Clippers must prove they have learned from their mistakes and sell-high on John Collins
Around the same time last season, the LA Clippers had several choices with Norman Powell: option A, sell-high on him; option B, operate with an open mind regarding an extension; or option C, keep him, and risk a drop in his value.
Well, the Clippers chose the worst of the three, and kept Powell, then traded him after he underperformed in the second half of the regular season and postseason. He was worth more in January of 2025 than in July.
It was a challenging reality to fathom, yet the Clippers can redeem themselves by branching out in their best interest and trading John Collins. He is on one of the best stretches of his career, doing so on an expiring contract.
These two factors cement him among the prized big men on the market. He is unsurprisingly not far from where Ivica Zubac currently stands.
Following the deadline, Collins could still flourish for the Clippers. His three-point excellence and athletic capabilities are eye-catching, yet is it worth the risk of holding on to him dearly, just to attempt to resign him in the summer? Likely not.
Thus, the Clippers need to raise the cost, and surely, with his recent play, teams will keep calling in order to snag him off the market.
