In a league where winning is everything, except when it’s not, John Collins found himself in an unusual predicament. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Utah Jazz traded the veteran forward not because he underperformed, but because he was too productive. Yes, you read that right.
“He was too damn productive last season,” MacMahon said on The Hoop Collective. “I don’t even remember all the injuries they came up with to make sure he didn’t play. They limited him to 40 games last year. He played in 70-plus percent of their wins. They didn’t win much, but they won too often with John Collins in the lineup, and he was a reason [they won]”.
The Jazz traded John Collins as he was “too productive”:
“He was too productive last season. I don’t even remember all the injuries they came up with to make sure he didn’t play… They didn’t win much, but they won too often with Collins in the lineup” 💀
per @espn_macmahon pic.twitter.com/Gq7hJcDsXv
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) July 9, 2025
The Jazz finished the 2024–25 season with a dismal 17–65 record, dead last in the Western Conference. But even that bottom-feeder status was threatened by Collins’ presence. In just 40 games, he averaged 19.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and shot nearly 40% from three, numbers that made him a nightly threat to Utah’s draft lottery odds.
In an era where teams strategically “rest” players to improve their chances at landing generational talent, Collins became a liability. Not for his flaws, but for his effectiveness. The Jazz reportedly concocted a series of injuries to keep him sidelined, a tactic that didn’t go unnoticed by fans or analysts.
Ultimately, Utah shipped Collins to the Clippers in a three-team deal involving Miami. The move wasn’t about fit or future potential, it was about removing a player who made them too competitive.
Now with the Clippers, Collins joins a team that actually wants to win. And for the Jazz? They’re back to chasing lottery dreams, this time without the accidental wins.
