Atlanta Hawks and CJ McCollum Agree to One-Year, $21 Million Extension

One of the most widely expected moves in the NBA became reality today.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania and confirmed by multiple reports, the Atlanta Hawks and veteran guard CJ McCollum have agreed to a one-year, $21 million extension. McCollum was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but it had been reported multiple times since the season ended that both Atlanta and McCollum had interest in agreeing to an extension, and that came together today.

Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum has agreed to a one-year, $21 million contract extension with the franchise, plus a trade kicker, agent Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN. McCollum has been eligible for an extension until June 30 and commits to a new deal that… pic.twitter.com/rTZKEX32Ks
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 21, 2026

What does the deal mean for Atlanta?

CJ McCollum Atlanta Hawk — Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) during the second quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Atlanta acquired McCollum in January from the Washington Wizards, a deal that sent franchise star Trae Young to the nation's capital. While McCollum is well respected around the league as a scorer and a great veteran presence, it would have been impossible to be able to predict the kind of impact that he would have on this Hawks team.

After initially coming off the bench when initially required by the Hawks, McCollum soon replaced former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher in the starting lineup and he helped to turn the Hawks into one of the more formidable starting lineups down the stretch of season.

Atlanta went 19-4 with McCollum in the starting lineup and finished the season 20-6 after the All-Star Break. The Hawks surged from 10th to 6th in the Eastern Conference and became the only team in the NBA to beat the New York Knicks multiple times in a playoff series. The Hawks were able to start the series well against New York, getting a 2-1 series lead largely because of McCollum and his ability to hit tough shots in the half-court.

He was a hero for Atlanta in games two and three of that series, and having him back, along with the core of Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu, will give the Hawks another opportunity to finish as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

With McCollum back, here are the current guaranteed contracts that Atlanta has one the books for the 2026-2027 season:

1. Jalen Johnson- $30,000,000
2. Dyson Daniels- $25,000,000
3. CJ McCollum- $21,000,000
4. Onyeka Okongwu-$16,100,000
5. Nickeil Alexander-Walker- $14,403,710
6. Corey Kispert- $13,975,000
7. Zaccharie Risacher- $13,826,040
8. Asa Newell- $3,399,480

The salary cap for the 2026-2027 NBA season is set for $165 million.

Some numbers to keep in mind heading into the offseason:

Luxury tax: $201 million
1st Apron: $209 million
2nd Apron: $222 million

That is $137,704,230 for eight players. Atlanta has until Thursday to decide if they are going to guarantee Buddy Hield's $9,658,536 salary for next season or waive him and save over six million. One option for Atlanta could be to waive Hield and stretch the remaining $3 million over three years, counting only $1 million towards the salary cap for the next three seasons.

Atlanta has until next Monday to decide whether to pick up or decline Jonathan Kuminga's $24.3 million team option. Forward Mouhamed Gueye also has a $2.4 million team option for next season..

The Hawks also hold the No. 8, No. 23, and No. 57 overall picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, which is set to begin on Tuesday.

With McCollum re-signing, I think it is likely Atlanta operates as an over-the-cap team this offseason. Atlanta has enough salary to put together a big trade, or they could prioritize bringing their own free agents back, nailing the draft, and using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to help bring in a veteran free agent, possibly a center.

Atlanta also has an $11,000,000 trade exception that they created by sending Luke Kennard to the Lakers at the trade deadline, the bi-annual exception, and they can sign players to veteran minimum deals as well.

This is a fair deal for the Hawks and McCollum. The veteran guard is going to get a chance to shine as a starter for another season and see if he and the Hawks can build on the momentum that they were able to build towards the end of last season.

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