Think back to the beginning of the season. Imagine knowing then that not only would the Atlanta Hawks trade Trae Young before the deadline after not extending him, but that they'd acquire CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in return. That return package alone might've caused you to stop being a fan entirely, and understandably so. Luckily for you, CJ has changed everything by playing the role of an unexpected hero, to the point that Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported that the team wants to retain him this summer (subscription required).
Newly acquired CJ McCollum, who arrived in the Young deal in early January on an expiring contract, will also be seeking a new pact after emerging as the reshaped Hawks' veteran leader during their second-half surge. I'm told Atlanta's plan is to bring back McCollum as well.
Remember when the trade happened in January, and there were questions about whether the Hawks would try to flip McCollum before the deadline? You know, it's a good thing that didn't happen, or else Atlanta's season would probably be over right now.
Quin Snyder's decision to insert the 34-year-old into the starting lineup in February led to the Hawks having one of the league's best five-man units. He helped lead them to a No. 6 finish in the East and secured two playoff wins over the Knicks. It's no wonder he wants to stay around, and why they want to keep him.
Hawks want to re-sign CJ McCollum this summer
McCollum spent the past few seasons with the Pelicans and the Wizards, and, with all due respect to both organizations, he didn't spend much time winning with either, to no fault of his own. Before the Hawks trade, he said he told his agent he wanted to play meaningful basketball again. Well, he's gotten his wish.
If you had to choose a landing spot for Young, Washington wouldn't have been your top pick, or even in your top five, but things have worked out well for Atlanta. McCollum is an excellent leader on and off the court, and he knows when to step in and take command of the offense (which isn't his primary role), as we saw in Games 2 and 3 of the first round.
No one could've predicted that one of the Hawks' offseason priorities was re-signing McCollum, not even him. Now, no one should think otherwise, as he's shown he still has plenty to give at his age. And you know what? He might have something special up his sleeve for tonight's game against New York, which could result in him upping his value in the process. Atlanta wouldn't complain about that.
Add us as a preferred source on Google