CJ McCollum signing $21 million contract extension with Hawks ahead of NBA free agency

CJ McCollum is staying in Atlanta.According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, The veteran guard agreed to a one-year, $21 million contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.It ends any uncertainty about his future as he remains a cornerstone after being one of the team’s most important late-season contributors.The deal reportedly includes a trade kicker, per Charania.The deal comes after McCollum played a vital role in Atlanta’s surprising surge following his midseason arrival in the deal for Trae Young.After being acquired by the Hawks from the Washington Wizards, the 34-year-old quickly became a stabilizing force on a mostly young roster.Atlanta caught fire down the stretch, finishing the regular season on a remarkable 19-4 run that vaulted the team into the No.

6 seed in the Eastern Conference, evolving from a fringe postseason possibility into one of the hottest teams in the league.McCollum’s presence had a lot to do with that.The soon-to-be 14-year veteran often guided the offense with his on-ball creativity, perimeter shooting and late-game shot creation, all trademarks of his entire NBA tenure.In 41 regular-season games with Atlanta, including 25 starts, McCollum averaged 18.7 points per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from behind the arc.His impact became even more apparent during the playoffs.Although Atlanta ultimately fell to the eventual champion Knicks 4-2 in the first round, McCollum repeatedly gave New York problems throughout the series, primarily in the first three games as the Hawks built a 2-1 lead.He engineered multiple clutch performances, including a 32-point outing in Game 2 when he scored six points in the final minutes and hit the go-ahead basket with 33.5 seconds remaining to steal a victory at Madison Square Garden.The Knicks led by 12 in the fourth quarter before the Hawks chipped away at the lead.McCollum added another 23 points in a Game 3 victory, in whic...