CJ McCollum Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Notes: McCollum, Zion, Valanciunas, Ingram

April 12th, 2022 at 10:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Pelicans lead guard CJ McCollum is looking to elevate his own game and help facilitate a bigger transition in the team’s overall mentality, per Will Guillory of The Athletic.

“They needed more leadership, more guidance,” McCollum said about the state of his New Orleans teammates once he arrived on the team via trade in February. “But they also needed a guy who can really hoop. I thought I could be the perfect fit… It was kind of a blessing in disguise. I could come to a place where I was needed, but it was also a place where I could show everything I have to offer.”

McCollum, who has emerged as the club’s lead ball-handler, is averaging 24.3 PPG, 5.8 APG and 4.5 RPG across his 26 regular season games for the Pelicans this season. Guillory notes that McCollum is scoring at an efficient clip, connecting on 49.3% of his field goals and 39.4% of his three-point attempts.

“I think it’s about shifting the culture here,” McCollum said of his leadership role with the club. “I think the way New Orleans is viewed is a certain way, and when I leave it’ll be different… When my time is up and I walk away, people will view this place differently and they’ll view me differently.”

There’s more out of New Orleans:

If Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson, who has missed the entire 2021/22 season with a right foot fracture, can return to the floor for New Orleans during 2022/23, the team would boast one of the best starting lineups in its history, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Starting point guard CJ McCollum would be joined by current rookie Herbert Jones on the wing, 2020 All-Star Brandon Ingram at small forward, Williamson at power forward and big man Jonas Valanciunas.
All-Star guard Dejounte Murray and the Spurs consider Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas to be a significant cause of concern for Wednesday’s play-in game, writes Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “He’s a monster,” Murray said. “I’m actually a big fan of his.” Orsborn notes that Valanciunas proved a formidable foe during the 2021 play-in tournament, when he scored 23 points and pulled down 23 rebounds with the Grizzlies as part of a 120-116 win over the Spurs. “He’s a big, smart, talented guy. You don’t just plan for (McCollum and Ingram), you’ve got to plan for him as well.”
High-scoring Pelicans wing Brandon Ingram is looking to prioritize team success over his individual numbers on the eve of the team’s play-in contest against the Spurs, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “It’s not an individual game,” Ingram said. “I know San Antonio is going to know everything that we’re going to be doing. We’re going to game plan for them. It’s going to be a physical game — emotional — but it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Southwest Notes: McCollum, Collins, Landale, Knight, Alvarado

March 30th, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

CJ McCollum sees tonight’s game against the Trail Blazers as the “final closure” on the trade that sent him to the Pelicans, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. McCollum’s family joined him in New Orleans recently, but this week marks his first time back at his Portland house since the February 8 deal.

“I had conversations and was able to talk to some of my teammates and obviously I still talk to them to this day,” said McCollum, who spent his first eight and a half NBA seasons with the Blazers. “I talked with the staff. It’ll be good to see (coach Chauncey Billups), talk about our teams. Talk about our football teams. Just kind of catch up and get back to business. Get the win and get outta here. This is the final step. You know this is going to happen at some point. But it’s good that it’s happy emotions opposed to the opposite. I like to call it a happy breakup. One where you’re not bitter at your ex.”

Although McCollum was a fan favorite in Portland and loved playing there, it was clear by the trade deadline that it was time to move on. He has quickly become a team leader with the Pelicans, averaging career-best numbers with 25.9 points, 6.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 19 games.

“It was a team I kind of zeroed in on and they obviously zeroed in on me,” McCollum said. “I knew what I signed up for and what I was going to be asked to do, and I’m doing it. They held up their end of the bargain as well. I’m happy to be in this situation.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Zach Collins‘ return from injury and Jock Landale‘s emergence late in his first NBA season have stabilized the Spurs‘ frontcourt rotation, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio is especially happy with Collins, who is delivering on the three-year, $22MM gamble the organization took on him after missing nearly two full seasons and undergoing three ankle surgeries. Landale is giving the team a reason to consider guaranteeing his $1.56MM contract for next season.
Brandon Knight was on the court tonight, one day after rejoining the Mavericks on a 10-day contract, tweets Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. Knight flew to Cleveland to meet the team, which needed backcourt help with Spencer Dinwiddie, Trey Burke and Frank Ntilikina all missing the game.
The four-year deal the Pelicans gave rookie guard Jose Alvarado when they converted his two-way contract carries a $1.1MM guarantee for next season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Years three and four are non-guaranteed, and the team holds an option on the final season.

Pelicans Notes: McCollum, Rookies, Ceiling, Alvarado, Benson

March 29th, 2022 at 4:29pm CST by Rory Maher

The 2021/22 season has been the most difficult of CJ McCollum‘s nine-year career, but he has excelled since being traded to the Pelicans, according to Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com.

As Kennedy details, McCollum had only played under one coach and one general manager in his first eight seasons, but the Blazers “mutually agreed” to part ways with Terry Stotts and the rest of his staff last June, then fired president of basketball operations Neil Olshey in early December after a misconduct investigation. A day after Olshey was dismissed, McCollum suffered a collapsed lung.

McCollum also became a father for the first time in January when COVID cases were spiking, dealt with trade rumors for a few months prior to being dealt to New Orleans, and then had a bout of COVID-19 earlier this month. Despite the chaotic circumstances, McCollum has averaged a stellar 25.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.2 steals on .501/.384/.720 shooting through 19 games with his new club.

“I’m excited, man. I’m thankful to be here,” McCollum said. “I’ve said it a thousand times, but I like what we’re building here, I like the way we’re playing, I like the way we’re executing, and the sky’s the limit for us.”

At 32-43, the Pelicans are currently the No. 9 seed in the West, holding a half-game lead over the No. 10 Lakers (31-43) and a one-game lead over the No. 11 Spurs (31-44).

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

The rookie trio of Herbert Jones, Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy could go down as one of the best in franchise history, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. Jones and Alvarado have been rotation regulars and defensive stalwarts throughout the season, while Murphy has been up-and-down. He had one of his best games of the season during the team’s win over the Lakers on Sunday, scoring 21 points on 7-12 shooting in 25 minutes. “It’s almost like night and day, honestly. Just getting comfortable, getting a lot of reps and just trusting the process,” Murphy said, per Guillory. “Going into the season, if I’m being realistic, I had a lot of expectations for myself, especially with summer league and preseason. Just staying even through all that stuff, through the lows, that’s the best way to do it.”
Christian Clark, Scott Kushner and Rod Walker of NOLA.com explore the team’s ceiling for this season following Sunday’s 116-108 victory over the Lakers.
Center Jonas Valanciunas said Alvarado earned his new promotion, Clark tweets. “Very happy. He deserved it. He’s been working hard. Maybe at times, he’s been acting like a vet. But he deserved it.” Alvarado was promoted to a four-year, standard deal on Monday after playing the entire season on a two-way contract.
In a separate article for NOLA.com, Clark writes that owner Gayle Benson was recently asked about the possibility of building a new arena for the Pelicans, but was non-committal in her reply. “You know, that’s in the future, we’re trying to look for now,” Benson said. “We’re talking about it, but we’ve been talking about it. Hopefully, at the right time we’ll make that decision.” Clark notes the team’s lease for the Smoothie King Center expires June 30, 2024, but the Pelicans can exercise a five-year option to remain in the arena at any point prior to the expiration date.

Pelicans Notes: McCollum, Jones, MLE, Murphy

March 22nd, 2022 at 1:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

CJ McCollum has given the Pelicans a consistent scoring presence since being acquired at last month’s trade deadline, but his value to the team goes far beyond that, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. With Zion Williamson unavailable all season and Brandon Ingram battling a strained hamstring, McCollum has taken over the offense since arriving in New Orleans, averaging 26.1 points and 6.7 assists in 16 games.

“He’s been fantastic,” coach Willie Green said. “His ability to score is at a high level. And I love the fact that he’s conscious about making sure he’s getting his teammates involved.”

McCollum has also brought a much-needed dose of veteran leadership to the Pelicans. Clark cites the example of McCollum’s statement during All-Star Weekend that he hadn’t talked directly with Williamson. They connected a few days later, and Williamson recently rejoined the team after spending two months working out on his own.

“You earn your vocal leadership,” McCollum said. “It starts with your preparation. It starts with your approach. And slowly, I integrate my voice when it’s necessary. But I never wanted to be the guy whose voice is heard all the time. I think it gets drowned out. I speak when I need to.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

Herb Jones took advantage of the Pelicans’ early-season miseries to establish himself as a bright spot for the future, writes Damian Burchardt of The Ringer. Williamson’s absence created an opportunity for the rookie power forward, and he showed he could handle the NBA right away, especially on defense. “I found my way on the defensive end,” he said. “I’ve always been taught that your defense follows you everywhere.”
The only downside to acquiring McCollum is that he limits the Pelicans’ financial options moving forward, John Hollinger of The Athletic points out in a conversation about the team with William Guillory. McCollum’s $33.3MM salary next season means New Orleans is currently unable to use its full mid-level exception this summer without going over the tax threshold for 2022/23. The team already has 13 players under contract for next season and is about $7MM away from the expected tax line.
Jones and two-way player Jose Alvarado have made the Pelicans’ 2021 rookie class the best since head of basketball operations David Griffin arrived in New Orleans, but first-round pick Trey Murphy hasn’t been as successful, Hollinger adds in the same piece. As one of the older prospects in the draft, Murphy was supposed to provide immediate help, but he has played in just 52 games and is averaging 4.6 PPG in 13.1 minutes per night.

Pelicans Notes: Ingram, Hayes, Alvarado, Graham, McCollum

March 17th, 2022 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram didn’t practice on Thursday, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. Ingram is recovering from a hamstring strain that has kept him out of action since March 6. New Orleans has lost four of five games since Ingram was sidelined and will begin a three-game road trip at San Antonio on Friday. The team has listed Ingram as out for the opener of the trip.

We have more on the Pelicans:

The team’s struggles without Ingram reinforces the need to keep him on the court by any means necessary, Scott Kushner of NOLA.com opines. They may have to reduce his playing time, or Ingram may need to get stronger this offseason. New Orleans is 3-16 in the games he has missed.
Jaxson Hayes has expanded his offensive game this season, which complicates the team’s long-term picture, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. Hayes has thrived at power forward and would have to move back to center on a regular basis once Zion Williamson returns from injury, whether this season or next. Both players are eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer and the Pelicans will have to decide whether to lock up Hayes long-term or see how the situation plays out.
Jose Alvarado (finger) and Devonte’ Graham (hip) are listed as questionable to play on Friday, Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets.
One bright spot for the club in the Pelicans’ loss to Phoenix on Wednesday was the return of CJ McCollum. After exiting the league’s health and safety protocols, McCollum played 32 minutes, scored 21 points and dished out nine assists.

CJ McCollum Cleared To Return For Pelicans

March 15th, 2022 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard CJ McCollum has exited the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols and will be available to play for the Pelicans on Tuesday vs. Phoenix, the team announced today (via Twitter).

McCollum entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols last Thursday and missed New Orleans’ games against Charlotte on Friday and Houston on Sunday.

The Pelicans split those games and remain well positioned to qualify for the play-in tournament in the Western Conference. At 28-40, they’re the No. 10 seed, one game behind the No. 9 Lakers (29-39) and 1.5 games up on the No. 11 Trail Blazers (26-41).

Devonte’ Graham entered the Pelicans’ starting lineup during McCollum’s two-game absence, but figures to return to the second unit on Tuesday. Graham and Jose Alvarado will likely play reduced roles after seeing a bump in minutes with McCollum out.

Western Notes: Conley, McCollum, Landale, Primo, Martin

March 14th, 2022 at 10:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mike Conley tried to carry the Jazz through adversity during the first half of the season. It took a toll on his body and he’s now trying to work his way through a rough patch, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. Looking worn out, Conley has scored in single digits in seven of his last 10 outings.

“I was trying to do everything I could physically and mentally to keep the ship afloat,” said Conley, who re-signed with the Jazz on a three-year deal last summer. “I tried to be there for everybody. When doing that, sometimes you can forget about being there for yourself. We hit some true adversity. We were getting doubted by everyone. We had a bunch of outside distractions going on. And you saw it creeping into our games.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

Pelicans coach Willie Green is hopeful CJ McCollum will clear the league’s health and safety protocols in time to play on Tuesday, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. McCollum was placed in protocols on Thursday. “We’re hopeful. We’ll see how it goes,” Green said. “He’s got to get a couple negative tests. He’s progressing.” The Pelicans have listed McCollum as questionable to play.
Jock Landale is hopeful he’ll still be wearing a Spurs uniform next season, as he told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News. He had a 26-point, 7-rebound game against Indiana on Saturday but his $1.56MM salary for next season isn’t guaranteed. “This is where I want to be long-term if I can,” Landale said. “I don’t want to go anywhere. Me and my fiancée love it here. I love the organization, love the boys I play with.”
In the same story, McDonald points out that Spurs lottery pick Joshua Primo has seen his offensive numbers go down while his playing time has gone up. Primo is averaging 24.8 MPG this month but he’s only averaging 6.0 PPG on 37.5% shooting in those games. Teammate Devin Vassell has an explanation. “It’s the rookie wall,” he said. “It’s real.”
The Rockets recently guaranteed Kenyon Martin Jr.‘s $1.78MM salary for next season and Basketball News’ Mark Schindler details why he believes Martin could turn into one of the top role players in the league.

Pelicans Place CJ McCollum In Protocols, Will Sign Ty Wallace To 10-Day

March 10th, 2022 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tyrone Wallace plans to sign a 10-day deal with the Pelicans, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Wallace has averaged 27 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 5.9 APG in his last 11 games with the G League’s Long Island Nets.

It’s been a long road back to the NBA for Wallace, the 60th pick of the 2016 draft. He appeared in 92 games for the Clippers from 2017-19 and 14 more for the Hawks during the 2019/20 season. The shooting guard averaged 5.2 PPG in 15.5 MPG during those 106 career appearances.

The news coincides with New Orleans’ announcement on Thursday that CJ McCollum has been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols and will miss at least Friday’s game against Charlotte (Twitter link). Brandon Ingram is out at least seven-to-10 days due to a hamstring strain.

Alize Johnson‘s 10-day contract is set to expire on Friday. However, Wallace could be added under the hardship exception due to McCollum’s status, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Southwest Notes: McCollum, Murray, Popovich, Green

March 3rd, 2022 at 7:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

CJ McCollum is thriving with the Pelicans since being acquired from Portland. McCollum says added responsibility has led to his strong start in New Orleans, according to Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He is averaging 26.6 PPG on 51.9% shooting and 6.0 APG since the deal. “I’m the primary ball-handler now,” McCollum said. “Before, Dame (Damian Lillard) was the primary ball-handler.” McCollum is in the first year of a three-year, $100MM extension.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Spurs guard Dejounte Murray was fined $20K by the NBA on Wednesday, the league announced (via Twitter). Murray threw the game ball off the legs of a referee during the fourth quarter of the team’s 118-105 loss to the Grizzlies on Monday. He was ejected for the incident.
The Spurs’ Gregg Popovich is just two victories away from becoming the winningest coach in league history. Popovich, 73, is still as demanding as ever, Murray told The Athletic’s David Aldridge. “It’s all stuff that makes sense,” he said. “That’s the big picture about it. Everything he’s yelling about, or talking about, it all makes sense.”
All the extra work Jalen Green has put in over the course of his rookie season is paying off, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic details. The Rockets guard and No. 2 pick in last year’s draft averaged 16.5 PPG and shot 39% from the 3-point line last month. “I would just say a lot more efficient, a lot more aggressive,” Green said of his improvement. “I’m locked in and hopefully will give my team a chance to win and just take my game to another level.”

Southwest Notes: McCollum, Ingram, Zion, Schröder, Doncic

February 28th, 2022 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans may be missing former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, but CJ McCollum and star forward Brandon Ingram have been developing an impressive rapport in the weeks since McCollum arrived from Portland, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com.

“Those two guys set the tone for us,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said after Sunday’s blowout win over the Lakers. “When they are playing like that and playing off of each other and making the simple plays, it’s beautiful basketball to watch.”

McCollum, who went out to dinner with Ingram and Green last week, tells Mark Medina of NBA.com that he advised Ingram “to be the most aggressive version of himself and not worry about me.”

“He’s been great. We can all see what he’s doing on the floor and his ability to score and to free up other guys,” Green said of the newly-acquired guard. “Now teams can’t load up as much on Brandon and can’t double Jonas [Valanciunas] as much when he’s on the floor.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

After defending Williamson last week to reporters, McCollum stressed in his conversation with Medina that he just wants to support his new Pelicans teammate while he recovers from his foot surgery and wasn’t bothered by the fact that it took them a couple weeks to touch base. “I just want to be there for him and be someone to lean on who has gone through injuries and doubt and anxiety and all of the things that are associated with being removed from the team due to injury,” McCollum said. “He’s a really young, talented player that has got a lot on his plate right now. I think it’s important for him to focus on the process and on the rehab. The rest of the things will handle itself. But when he gets back, we’ll hit the ground running. That’s a guy that changes any franchise and their trajectory.”
Rockets guard Dennis Schröder, who had to settle for a one-year, $5.9MM contract in free agency last summer, has hired new representation, signing with Priority Sports, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Schröder is averaging a career-high 7.8 assists per game in his first five appearances with Houston, but has shot the ball erratically, making just 34.5% of his attempts from the floor, including 21.7% of his three-pointers.
After picking up his 13th technical foul of the season on Sunday, Mavericks star Luka Doncic is now tied for the league lead and is just three technicals shy of earning a one-game suspension, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. As MacMahon notes, with Dallas in the midst of a playoff race, Doncic has vowed that won’t happen.