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Inside The Nets

Brooklyn Nets Could Have Interest in CJ McCollum

The Brooklyn Nets could use a veteran to help balance out a young roster.
Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts after a basket against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts after a basket against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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The Brooklyn Nets could use a veteran to help balance out a young roster.

Considering that, the Nets could be among the suitors for CJ McCollum, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic.

"An unrestricted free agent, he likely will have other suitors who value his scoring, although perhaps not as a starter," Hollinger wrote.

"I canvassed a few execs on his likely value during my recent travels, and most seemed to think one or two years at slightly above the midlevel exception was a fair ballpark (i.e., two years and $35 million to $40 million). However, with tanking now verboten, a one-year balloon deal from a struggling cap-room team like the Chicago Bulls or Brooklyn Nets can’t be ruled out."

Every young team needs to have a veteran on the roster to hold their teammates accountable and manage the locker room during the highs and lows of a season, especially one that contains a potential future superstar.

Who better than McCollum, who has been a part of several heated playoff battles and has held leadership roles in the NBPA?

McCollum is also still an absolute bucket, as evidenced by his knack for dialing it in from distance and taking his man off the dribble, oftentimes leading to an easy pullup jumper or floater.

Sure, the argument could be made that McCollum could be eating into the touches of several young players who may need the ball in their hands to fully develop their game, but in looking at the history of the NBA, some of the best players in the league have oftentimes had to share the ball with another high usage player.

For example, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had to co-exist with Chris Paul early on in his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Egor Dëmin and Nolan Traoré could certainly use a veteran like McCollum to help them improve their shotmaking skills, especially when both guards look to get downhill.

Traoré, in particular, could benefit under McCollum's tutelage, especially given Traoré's fearlessness of attacking the basket.

Hollinger noted that McCollum could be looking for somewhere around $20 million per year as he nears the later stages of his career, and Brooklyn could create about $45 million in cap space this summer.

Could that be an expensive price to pay? Sure, but the benefits of bringing in McCollum on a short term deal on that salary could help bring longterm success back to Brooklyn.

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Sameer Kumar
SAMEER KUMAR

Sameer Kumar covers the NBA and specializes in providing analysis on player performance and telling stories beyond the numbers. He graduated from SUNY Oswego with a B.A. in Broadcasting & Mass Communication.