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Feb 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward John Collins reacts to a play from the bench during the second half of the game against the Houston Rockets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Jazz's John Collins Breaks Silence on Looming Contract Decision

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Heading into this summer's NBA offseason, the Utah Jazz will have several dominos to fall in order to shake out how exactly this roster will look once next year rolls around.

One of those motions to unravel revolves around what's to come for John Collins and his player option. The veteran big man has a $26 million player option to make a decision on for the 2025-26 season, opting to either stay in Utah for at least one more season or take a chance on the open market.

Of course, there's tons of time to iron out what's to come for Collins and his immediate future in Utah, but when asking the veteran himself, it seems the goal is to accept his option and stay with the Jazz for the long haul if the stars align for it.

"I hope so," Collins said. "I'm not sure what's to happen or what the future holds, but I hope that I could come to an agreement, move forward, [and] start anew. But, I just know that's not how things always work out... The NBA– it is a business at the end of the day."

"So, I'm just open to anything at the end of the day, and I just want it to be the right move," Collins continued. "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 moving forward, look back on my career, and be happy."

Things might not have gone Collins' way this past season, or for anyone on the Jazz's league-worst roster, for that matter. Regardless, the veteran seemingly still has his ambitions to keep things moving with Utah if the business side of things falls his way.

And if Collins puts pen to paper on his option, chances are, they can. Utah could still find a way to navigate a sign-and-trade agreement in the event the veteran accepts the option to re-route him elsewhere, but the front office could also have interest in keeping him in the mix if he's willing to stick around.

And following the season Collins put together in his limited sample size, it's hard to hate the idea of the 27-year-old running it back for Utah's 2025-26 campaign if the situation is right. During his 40 games on the floor, he averaged 19.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 52.7% shooting from the field, nearly becoming the Jazz's leading scorer on the year from a points-per-game basis.

Anything can happen during the NBA offseason, and especially so for a team with a mind like Danny Ainge in the front office. But, don't be shocked if we see Collins in Salt Lake City for at least one more season.

This article first appeared on Utah Jazz on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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