The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be syncing well as a unit in the initial phase of the Luka Dončić era, having built a six-game winning streak, increased their record to 38-21, and secured the No. 2 position in the Western Conference.
While Los Angeles has been driven offensively by the exceptional pair of Dončić and future Hall of Famer LeBron James, the team has gained recognition for their prowess on defense, boasting a league-leading 104.5 defensive rating in the last six games.
Given that the Lakers are experiencing defensive success while aiming to enhance their scoring alongside their superstar duo this summer, recent reports suggest that the Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka may recruit an athletic star scoring forward who has also developed into a stronger defender this season for the Utah Jazz, John Collins.
“According to Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey on Saturday, the Utah Jazz could have a big man capable of elevating the Lakers’ potential beyond that of Jakob Poeltl, Clint Capela, or any other players mentioned.”
“Though he’s often viewed primarily as a power forward, Collins has successfully performed as a center in Utah.”
“He spaces the court as an outside scorer (connecting on 38.8 percent of his three-point shots in the past two years), boasts a respectable block rate, and would thrive as a lob threat alongside Luka and LeBron James.”
At 27, Collins has emerged as an offensive force for the struggling 15-46 Jazz, averaging 18.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks with an impressive true shooting percentage of 63.5%.
Collins previously played for the Atlanta Hawks from 2017 to 2023, where he emerged as a borderline All-Star, averaging 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds for the team in the 2019-20 season.
In his second year in Utah, Collins has emerged as an extremely efficient scorer, sinking a career-high 41.8% of his three-point attempts and shooting 53.2% overall from the field.
A possible trade opportunity that Los Angeles might propose to obtain the flexible 6-foot-9 Collins could entail sending away Dalton Knecht, the salary of either Jarred Vanderbilt or Gabe Vincent, along with future first-round draft picks.
As a potential addition to the Lakers, Collins might be the ideal complementary player to join Dončić and James because of his skill in setting screens and catching lob passes from these two legendary passers.
Collins is a demonstrated three-point shooting threat who can open up the floor and is an effective defender, currently recording a significantly enhanced -0.3 defensive box plus-minus, an improvement from last season’s -1.4.
As a jump-shooter, he was capable of causing significant harm as a corner three-point option for Los Angeles through drive-and-kick chances, demonstrated by his 44.4% shooting accuracy from that location on the court in 2024-25.
Should Pelinka successfully execute a trade for Collins this summer, it’s reasonable to think he could become one of the essential components required for a serious championship pursuit in 2025-26.