Just weeks ahead of the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to a contract extension with one of their most talented players. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Pelicans have signed CJ McCollum to a two-year, $64 million extension, keeping him under contract through the 2025-26 season.
McCollum had been under contract only through the 2023-24 season, so this new deal gives not only the 31-year-old scorer more long-term security but also keeps one of the Pelicans’ best players in town for a few more seasons.
- CJ McCollum stats with Pelicans: 24.3 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.5 RPG, 39.4% 3PT
The Pelicans traded for the longtime Blazers guard last season in a package centered around Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. He quickly flourished in a lead role away from Portland, finishing with career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals in 26 starts with his new team.
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CJ McCollum poised for a big season with Pelicans
It quickly became obvious that McCollum was a good fit in New Orleans. The team went on a late-season rally to secure the ninth spot in the Western Conference, where they were able to snag a playoff spot thanks to a strong performance in the Play-In tournament. All of this came without who many would regard as their best player, with Zion Williamson not touching the floor at all due to injury.
The first overall pick from the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson should be good to go at the start of the season. It only gives New Orleans another potent scorer, adding to Brandon Ingram and McCollum. That’s three 20-point scorers all on the same team for a roster that already made some noise late in the year.
Now that McCollum has had time to settle in under coach Willie Green, and knowing his team is not looking to trade him any time soon, expect the shooting guard to continue to thrive in the Big Easy. While they may have finished as the nine-seed a season ago, many anticipate the Pelicans to be much better with Zion added into the mix. We’ll see just how far they can go, but their exciting core should at least be a popular NBA League Pass choice.
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Author: Andrew Buller-Russ