Veteran CJ McCollum of the Atlanta Hawks confirmed he had a “productive conversation” with the team’s front office after their season ended.
The Hawks’ season came to a crashing halt on Thursday when they suffered a blowout loss to the New York Knicks, losing 140-89. It was a terrible end to what was otherwise a great season for the Hawks, who improved to 46 wins this year while earning the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
One of the biggest reasons the Hawks improved was the trade in January that saw former franchise player Trae Young shipped to the Washington Wizards for McCollum and sharpshooter Corey Kispert. The Hawks went 25-12 in regular-season games that McCollum played in, showing that he was the perfect fit as one of the team’s starting guards. Not to mention, he was money in the playoffs for the team. Overall, McCollum averaged 18.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists with the Hawks in the regular season, plus 19.2 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in the postseason. He also scored the game-winner in Game 3 against the Knicks.
The Atlanta Hawks Want CJ McCollum Back
McCollum’s contract, which paid him $30.6 million, expires at the end of June, at which time he will become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his 13-year NBA career. He is expected to receive several contract offers on the open market, as many teams will want both his shooting and leadership. However, it’s possible that McCollum won’t even get the chance to talk to other teams, as it appears the Hawks want to bring him back into the fold next season.
Speaking to reporters at the Hawks’ end-of-year media session, McCollum confirmed that he had discussions with the team’s front office the day after the season ended, and it appears there is mutual interest in a return.
“I did meet with your front office today, and we had a productive conversation,” McCollum said with a smile.
The Price for CJ McCollum’s Next Contract
At age 34, McCollum won’t be making $30 million on his next contract. While he is still an excellent player and productive into the later stages of his NBA career, that kind of salary is for someone who is an All-Star player, and McCollum doesn’t fit into that category anymore.
McCollum may have to take the mid-level exception, which starts at around $15 million, though he could get slightly more. He will most likely get a two or three-year contract offer, with potentially a team option for the last year attached with non-guaranteed money. There is also the chance that a team that has cap room and needs to hit the cap floor could offer him a bigger one-year deal, though it would likely not be with a contender if that’s the case.
Overall, McCollum showed this year that he’s still a very good player in this league. Once he got away from the terrible Wizards, he showed everyone that he’s still here to play, and he’s still a great teammate who makes any team better. The Hawks will have first dibs on re-signing him, but given his strong play in the postseason, expect other contenders to convey interest, should he make it to the open market.
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