Jazz Rumors: John Collins Exercises $26.5M Player Option For 2025-26

Utah Jazz veteran forward John Collins has picked up his $26.5 million player option for the 2025-26 season, sources informed ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday.

This is part of the five-year, $125 million contract he signed with the Atlanta Hawks in August 2021. Then in July 2023, the Hawks traded Collins to Utah for Rudy Gay and a 2026 second-round draft pick.

Injuries Limited John Collins To 40 Games In 2024-25

In 40 games (31 starts) with the Jazz last season, Collins averaged 19 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 30.5 minutes per contest while shooting 52.7% from the field and 39.9% from 3-point range.

The Wake Forest product was the only player in the league in 2024-25 to shoot better than 50% from the floor and 39% from deep while averaging at least one steal and one block per game.

Collins, who turns 28 in September, started out the 2024-25 campaign on the bench before injuries to the Jazz’s starting lineup opened up a starting spot in Utah.

The 6-foot-9 Collins is an effective role player when healthy, but the eight-year veteran has not played more than 71 games in a season since his rookie 2017-18 campaign.

An ankle injury kept Collins out for the final two months of the season. The Jazz were nearly 13 points per 100 possessions better with Collins on the court as opposed to off, according to Basketball Reference.

Collins, Jazz Did Not Agree To Multi-Year Contract Extension

Although Collins exercised his player option, the move does not guarantee his future with the Jazz. Utah is expected to “aggressively shop” veteran guards Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson this offseason, and Charania reported earlier this week that Collins could be on the trade block as well.

According to a report from Ben Anderson of KSL Sports, Collins’ opting in indicates that he and the Jazz “didn’t agree to a contract extension beyond this season.”

“I’m not sure what’s to happen, or you know, what the future holds, but I hope to come to an agreement to move forward,” Collins told the Deseret News in April.

“The NBA is business at the end of the day, so I’m just open to anything. I just want it to be right — the right move. If it does mean staying here, being in Utah, I’m cool with that. I just want it to be right, and something that I can cherish going forward.”

However, his limited playing time last season hurts his value.