CJ McCollum viewed as grown-up in Pelicans locker room; less likely to be traded
Michael Scotto: This is what I’ve been told regarding CJ McCollum’s future. While he’s not untouchable, he’s viewed as the grown-up in the room for a young Pelicans squad, providing stability on the court and a good locker room presence for the team. I think that’s going to be a guy whose name you’ll hear come up in trade talks, but for those reasons I mentioned, I don’t know if they will move him. Will Guillory: He’s the typical example of a guy who’s more valuable to the Pelicans than others. They see him as a guy who’s really important to what they’re doing and marked the winning point of Willie Green’s tenure. They were losing a whole lot in the beginning, and when they brought CJ in, they became more of a serious team, and they want to keep that vibe. I’m not sure he has that same type of value for other teams if he’s put on the trade block.
Source: HoopsHype
Source: HoopsHype
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
#Pelicans leaders in aggregate plus-minus during #NBA regular season:
Murphy +265
Alvarado +240
Jones +231
Marshall +205
McCollum +195 – 3:14 PM
#Pelicans leaders in aggregate plus-minus during #NBA regular season:
Murphy +265
Alvarado +240
Jones +231
Marshall +205
McCollum +195 – 3:14 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
This year’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar NBA Social Justice champion award goes to Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns
Other finalists were Russell Westbrook, Bam Adebayo, CJ McCollum, Lindy Waters III
Past winners were Carmelo Anthony, Reggie Bullock, and Stephen Curry pic.twitter.com/C4ABX6lJ9P – 12:00 PM
This year’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar NBA Social Justice champion award goes to Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns
Other finalists were Russell Westbrook, Bam Adebayo, CJ McCollum, Lindy Waters III
Past winners were Carmelo Anthony, Reggie Bullock, and Stephen Curry pic.twitter.com/C4ABX6lJ9P – 12:00 PM
Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
Random note via @bball_ref: This was second straight season #NBA free throw percentage was an all-time high. It was 78.4%, after it had been 78.2% in 2022-23. Seven #Pelicans players exceeded that % on 80+ attempts (Jones, Hawkins, McCollum, Murphy, Ingram, Marshall, Valanciunas) – 11:23 AM
Random note via @bball_ref: This was second straight season #NBA free throw percentage was an all-time high. It was 78.4%, after it had been 78.2% in 2022-23. Seven #Pelicans players exceeded that % on 80+ attempts (Jones, Hawkins, McCollum, Murphy, Ingram, Marshall, Valanciunas) – 11:23 AM
More on this storyline
The Pelicans have prioritized retaining their draft picks, including Williamson in 2022 and Herbert Jones in July. Murphy is now also eligible to sign a rookie extension. Murphy averaged a career-high 14.7 points this season and shot better than 38% on 3-pointers for the third consecutive season. He is one of two players in Pelicans history with 150-plus made 3-pointers in multiple seasons (CJ McCollum is the other). The Pelicans had a plus-7.7 net rating with Murphy on the floor this season. Extensions for Ingram and Murphy could push the Pelicans close to the luxury tax threshold in 2025-26. Alvarado continues to outplay the four-year, $6.9 million contract signed in 2022. In the play-in loss to the Lakers, Alvarado had a net rating of plus-17.5 points per 100 possessions. He finished the regular season plus-11.9. Alvarado became eligible for an extension on March 28. He has a $2 million team option for next season. -via ESPN / April 30, 2024
Clemente Almanza: FINAL: Thunder 97, Pelicans 89 SGA – 24 points, 10 rebounds JDub – 24 points, 8 rebounds Chet – 14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists Giddey – 14 points McCollum – 20 points, 6 rebounds Valanciunas – 19 points, 13 rebounds Ingram – 8 points, 6 assists OKC sweeps NOLA, 4-0 -via Twitter @CAlmanza1007 / April 29, 2024
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: I’m so proud of these 5 Finalists for their dedication off the court. Keep up the hard work! pic.twitter.com/pGDw5Jjfr2 -via Twitter @kaj33 / April 29, 2024