Atlanta Hawks officially announce signing of first round pick John Collins

The Atlanta Hawks announced the signing of John Collins, the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, to his rookie scale contract. Collins was selected out of Wake Forest University and projects to play both big man positions as a scorer and rebounder in the paint.

The team did not release the terms of the deal, but it’s almost certain that he signed for 120 percent of the rookie scale. That is the maximum allowed under NBA rules, which would pay him $11 million over four years, assuming the Hawks pick up both his third- and fourth-year options when the time comes.

Collins signing early doesn’t affect the team’s cap space, as he had already counted on their books for 120 percent of the rookie deal. Witj that, the Hawks are still in the same place they were before the signing in terms of potential cap space if a host of free agents were to leave.

Collins will play with the Atlanta Summer League team next week in Las Vegas as Hawks fans get their first look at Collins in a professional setting.p