CJ McCollum Talks About Trade to Hawks and Future in Atlanta

It’s always hard to get traded in the middle of an NBA season. First of all, you have to pick up your whole life. Your family has to move, you need to find a new place to live, etc. Then you have to find out how to integrate with your new team. Even for players who want to be traded, the transition can be difficult. 

The most significant in-season trade we’ve seen this year was between the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards. The Hawks traded their star point guard, Trae Young, to the Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. McCollum recently spoke about the experience of being traded mid-season and how he’s felt as a new member of the Atlanta Hawks. 

“I’m excited about the possibilities. I’m happy to be in Atlanta. I love the city. I love the team and the organization. The things that I’ve heard about them so far in my interaction with the team and the front office has been positive. So I’m excited about the possibilities. We’ll see what happens next… It’s been hectic. You get traded. You move. I have kids. I have my wife. So it’s been a little hectic. But that’s the job. You just have to figure it out. So I’ve just been figuring it out.”

Everyone knows McCollum wants to play on a winning team. His time in New Orleans and Washington was fine, but McCollum is a veteran who wants to be playing playoff basketball, not helping young rebuilding teams develop. 

So, his happiness in Atlanta is no surprise. Sure, the Hawks aren’t one of the top teams in the league, but they are trying to win and will need McCollum’s help to do so. Hopefully, he can find a home in Atlanta. He’s exactly the type of veteran leader that a young, yet competitive, team should want in their locker room.