Veteran guard CJ McCollum will remain with the Atlanta Hawks after agreeing to a one-year contract extension worth $21 million, according to multiple reports released Sunday.
According to McCollum’s agent, Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports Management, the deal includes a trade kicker. The 13-year NBA veteran had been on track to become a free agent on June 30, which was the deadline for him to qualify for an extension.
The 34-year-old McCollum came to Atlanta via a trade that sent four-time All-Star guard Trey Young to Washington. He quickly made his presence felt, helping the Hawks build a 2-1 series lead over the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
One of McCollum’s most memorable moments came in Game 3 in New York, where he dropped 32 points and hit a crucial 15-foot fadeaway jumper that gave Atlanta the series advantage.
Over 41 games with the Hawks, McCollum put up an average of 18.7 points per game. During that stretch, Atlanta went 18-2 in a late-season surge that carried the team into the postseason.
Originally selected 10th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Draft, McCollum hit at least 150 three-pointers for the 11th consecutive season — a feat no other NBA player has matched every year since the 2015-16 season.
Across 863 career games, including 750 starts, McCollum has averaged 19.5 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds while suiting up for the Trail Blazers, Hawks, Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans.
McCollum also has a storied college history. He became a March Madness legend when he scored 30 points to lead 15th-seeded Lehigh to a stunning 75-70 upset of second-seeded Duke in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
