The New Orleans Pelicans have officially signed a contract extension with guard CJ McCollum, the team revealed today.
According to The Advocate, “The Pelicans have inked a two-year, $64 million extension with McCollum, ensuring his presence on the team until the end of the 2025-26 season. McCollum was already set to earn $33.3 million in 2022-23 and $35.8 million in 2023-24. The extension guarantees that McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson will remain Pelicans players for the next three seasons.”
Standing at 6-3 and weighing 190 pounds, McCollum came to New Orleans via a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers midway through the previous season. He showcased his skills in 62 games (all as a starter) during the 2021-22 season, clocking in averages of 22.1 points, 5.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in 34.6 minutes on the court. In his 26 appearances as a Pelican, McCollum elevated his performance, averaging 24.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in 33.8 minutes, with shooting percentages of .493 from the field and .394 from beyond the arc. During the initial playoff series against Phoenix, McCollum played in all six games, putting up 22.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 39.0 minutes per game.
With almost a decade of experience, McCollum has participated in 590 games (493 as a starter) across his time at Portland and New Orleans. Throughout his career, he has maintained averages of 19.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 0.9 steals in 31.6 minutes of play, shooting .455 from the floor, .396 from three-point range, and .810 from the charity stripe. In postseason play, spanning nine years with Portland and New Orleans, McCollum has competed in 63 games (53 as a starter), boasting averages of 20.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.8 steals per game during 35.4 minutes, with shooting percentages of .434 from the field, .377 from the three-point line, and .763 from the free throw line.
Image Source: CJ McCollum @ Instagram
