Former Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum is proving he still has plenty of gas left in the tank at 34 years old. He's averaging 18.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds on 45/39/80 shooting splits. However, the issue is that production is largely being wasted on a rebuilding Washington Wizards team that currently sits 14th in the Eastern Conference at 9-25.
McCollum has a closing window and shouldn't want to waste his remaining years on a team with no playoff aspirations. The silver lining is that he's on an expiring $30.7 million deal, meaning he'd finally have control over his future this offseason. Even better, CJ's situation may improve in the coming weeks, with the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaching.
CJ McCollum could land with the Hawks in a Trae Young blockbuster
NBA insider Marc Stein reports that the Wizards are emerging as a legitimate landing spot for Trae Young (subscription required), with a potential trade package centered on McCollum's expiring contract as the salary filler.
Whether it's with Washington or another team, it sounds like Trae Young's time in Atlanta is coming to a close. ESPN's Shams Charania also recently reported that Young and the Hawks have been working on finding him a trade out of Atlanta.
This would make sense from Atlanta's perspective. They've played well in Young's absence this season and can finally give Jalen Johnson the keys to the franchise. But if they do make this rumored deal, it could be a stepping stone to another blockbuster.
The Hawks have expressed interest in acquiring Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks, but as Stein previously noted (subscription required), Young's player option has been a hurdle to making that a reality. Swapping Young for McCollum would allow the Hawks to get off that massive salary one year earlier, assuming Young would pick up his player option. That creates less financial risk of bringing in Davis.
"Atlanta's willingness to absorb Davis' salary could well depend on its ability to find a new home via trade for Trae Young. Shipping out multiple expiring contracts in a theoretical Davis deal — with the 32-year-old under contract for more than $58 million next season and holding a player option for 2027-28 worth nearly $63 million — would be very, very pricey for the Hawks. Then imagine, if Atlanta were to make that move, Young deciding to follow up by exercising his $49 million player option for 2026-27. Expensive wouldn't begin to describe it for a team historically averse to the luxury tax," Stein writes.
It may not be an ideal situation for McCollum, as his long-term fit would still be in question on an up-and-coming Hawks team. But Stein adds that Atlanta wanted McCollum back in 2022, when the Blazers ultimately traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans, so perhaps they look to keep him beyond this season.
Regardless, the Hawks are firmly in the play-in race at 17-20, giving McCollum a realistic shot at the postseason before reevaluating his options in the summer.
At this point in his career, anything is better than the Wizards.