CJ McCollum agrees to contract extension with Pelicans

Apr 5, 2022; Sacramento, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

CJ McCollum has not played for the New Orleans Pelicans for very long, but he is clearly comfortable enough with his experience to extend his stay.

McCollum agreed to a two-year, $64 million contract extension with the Pelicans, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. When added to his existing contract, the deal ties McCollum to the Pelicans through the 2025-26 season.

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has agreed on a two-year, $64 million extension that’ll take him through 2025-2026, his agent Sam Goldfeder of @Excelbasketball tells ESPN. New deal ties McCollum to Pels for four years and $133M.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 24, 2022

The Pelicans acquired McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers last season, and the guard seemed to flourish after the trade. In 26 games with New Orleans, the 31-year-old averaged 24.3 points and 5.8 assists per game. His arrival was a key factor in the Pelicans’ first playoff appearance since 2018.

New Orleans will be looking forward to a full season with McCollum in the fold. Combine that with what we’re hearing about Zion Williamson and the Pelicans certainly have a chance to be a threat in the West in 2022-23.