Salary-wise, executive Lawrence Frank and the LA Clippers must have been aware that John Collins is on the cusp of unrestricted free agency with one season left. Thus, they still traded for him, knowing that he may have high demands when the time comes to talk about extensions.
Furthermore, there is a good chance Collins averages around 15 points per game on good efficiency. His scoring will not be as high as it was with the Utah Jazz, as the title of a first/second option does not belong to him, but playing with James Harden as an athletic power forward only means free points.