John Collins hopes that he'll remain with the Clippers as the Feb. 5 trade deadline looms.
With less than two weeks left before the NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Clippers might be a team to watch that can make plenty of moves. But despite the uncertainty of his future with them, John Collins made it clear that he is committed to the franchise.
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Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the Clippers forward said that he wants to remain in Los Angeles.
“I wanna be in LA," he stated, via Law Murray of The Athletic. "I wanna be a Clipper. Just praying that all my hard work and energy will manifest into something positive here in LA.”
The Clippers have obtained Collin in last offseason's three-team deal with the Utah Jazz and the Miami Heat.
This season, the forward is averaging 13.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 27.5 minutes across 41 games. Although his scoring numbers have declined compared to recent years, Collins' impact is nonetheless huge for the Clippers.
With Derrick Jones Jr. inactive for most of the season due to a knee injury, Collins stepped up as the team's frontcourt partner for franchise star Kawhi Leonard. His athleticism, versatility and efficiency (55.9 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from three) are huge for the Clippers' season turnaround as they are now 10th in the West with a 20-24 record.
Collins holds an expiring $26.5 million player option and will be an unrestricted free agent once the season ends.
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