3 teams, 4 players! A legendary trade! Unable to secure a starting spot on the Clippers

Tyronn Lue said:The Clippers’ starting five has four players set: Harden, Beal, Leonard, and Zubac.

Collins replied: Starting would definitely be nice, but I’m just going to go with the flow.

During this summer’s offseason, the NBA witnessed a three-way trade as follows:

The Clippers acquired Collins;

The Heat received Powell;

The Jazz obtained Love, Kyle, and a 2027 second-round draft pick.

Last season with the Jazz, Collins played 40 regular-season games, starting 31 of them, averaging 30.5 minutes per game, contributing 19 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block per game, shooting 52.7% from the field, and hitting 1.5 three-pointers per game at a 39.9% rate.

Many originally expected Collins to be the Clippers’ starting power forward, but Tyronn Lue’s “cold water” comment complicated matters and caused confusion for many, especially since Collins’ talent is clearly evident.

It’s worth noting that the 25-26 season is a contract year for Collins, with a salary of $26.58 million. He must prove himself with the Clippers, whether as a starter or off the bench, giving his all to secure a desirable new contract next summer.