The New York Knicks lost just three games en route to their first NBA championship in 53 years. Two of those came courtesy of an Atlanta Hawks team led by CJ McCollum. The veteran guard is ticketed for free agency. If he gets there, Hardwood Houdini's Ben Handler made the case for why he would be a "dream offseason target" for the Boston Celtics this summer.
"He'd be an ideal sixth man or fifth starter who could close games some nights and take a backseat on others," outlines Handler. "He would fit great with what the team needs, and his proven playoff and clutch chops, plus recent success against the Knicks, would be huge bonuses. His defense is a liability, and he's not the player he was back in Portland, but that's what makes him potentially available."
McCollum is coming off a postseason in which he generated 19.2 points per contest. He put 32 on the board in a Game 2 win at Madison Square Garden. For an encore, the 34-year-old guard provided 23 points in a Game 3 victory on Atlanta's home floor.
He played the 2025-26 campaign on a $30.7 million contract. However, given that he'll turn 35 in September, he figures to sign for significantly less than that. It's conceivable that he would sign with a title contender, like the Celtics, for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, valued at $15 million.
Unfortunately, McCollum may not make it to the open market.
Atlanta Hawks working to re-sign CJ McCollum
According to Jake Fischer, via a recent edition of The Stein Line, after seeing the impact the former 10th overall pick had upon acquiring him for Trae Young, the Hawks are optimistic that he'll be back for a second season in the Peach State.
"Atlanta remains hopeful about its chances of re-signing veteran CJ McCollum in free agency after his standout postseason," reports Fischer.
Adding a scorer, a shooter, and a leader of his caliber would be a boon for Boston. He's also coming off a campaign where, between his time with the Washington Wizards and after arriving in Atlanta, he averaged 3.9 assists and nearly a steal per game.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, as great a potential backcourt addition as McCollum represents in their pursuit of Banner 19, the Hawks have until Jun. 30 before other teams can swoop in and start negotiating with him. Given that they're hopeful about retaining him and have nearly two full weeks before another franchise could present an offer that prys him away, Boston may have to look elsewhere to make a splash in free agency.
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