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Atlanta Hawks and CJ McCollum Agree to One-Year, $21 Million Extension One of the most widely expected moves in the NBA became reality today.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania and confirmed by multiple reports, the Atlanta Hawks Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado during the second quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Imagesand veteran guard CJ McCollum have agreed to a one-year, $21 million extension.
McCollum was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but it had been reported multiple times since the season ended that both Atlanta and McCollum had interest in agreeing to an extension, and that came together today.Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum has agreed to a one-year, $21 million contract extension with the franchise, plus a trade kicker, agent Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN.
McCollum has been eligible for an extension until June 30 and commits to a new deal that..
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Imagesin January from the Washington Wizards, a deal that sent franchise star Trae Young to the nation's capital.
While McCollum is well respected around the league as a scorer and a great veteran presence, it would have been impossible to be able to predict the kind of impact that he would have on this Hawks team.After initially coming off the bench when initially required by the Hawks, McCollum soon replaced former No.
1 pick Zaccharie Risacher in the starting lineup and he helped to turn the Hawks into one of the more formidable starting lineups down the stretch of season.
Atlanta went 19-4 with McCollum in the starting lineup and finished the season 20-6 after the All-Star Break.The Hawks surged from 10th to 6th in the Eastern Conference and became the only team in the NBA to beat the New York Knicks multiple times in a playoff series.
The Hawks were able to start the series well against New York, getting a 2-1 series lead largely because of McCollum and his ability to hit tough shots in the half-court.He was a hero for Atlanta in games two and three of that series, and having him back, along with the core ofDyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu, will give the Hawks another opportunity to finish as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
That is $137,704,230 for eight players.
Atlanta has until Thursday to decide if they are going to guarantee Buddy Hield's $9,658,536 salary for next season or waive him and save over six million.One option for Atlanta could be to waive Hield and stretch the remaining $3 million over three years, counting only $1 million towards the salary cap for the next three seasons.
The Hawks also hold the No.
8, No.
23, and No.
57 overall picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, which is set to begin on Tuesday.
With McCollum re-signing, I think it is likely Atlanta operates as an over-the-cap team this offseason.Atlanta has enough salary to put together a big trade, or they could prioritize bringing their own free agents back, nailing the draft, and using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to help bring in a veteran free agent, possibly a center.
Luke Kennard to the Lakers at the trade deadline, the bi-annual exception, and they can sign players to veteran minimum deals as well.
This is a fair deal for the Hawks and McCollum.The veteran guard is going to get a chance to shine as a starter for another season and see if he and the Hawks can build on the momentum that they were able to build towards the end of last season.
Jackson Caudell has been a publisher at the On SI network for four years and has extensive knowledge covering college athletics and the NBA.Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast, and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does.
Find him on X @jacksoncaudell.