CJ McCollum is already looking past the grind of last season and toward what Atlanta might become with a full runway.
After the Hawks closed the year by winning 20 of their final 26 games, McCollum said he’s eager to see what the group can do in 2026/27. He was a big part of that surge after arriving from Washington in January, putting up 18.7 points and 4.1 assists in 41 games. For him, the biggest difference now is simple: time.
“I’m just excited to be able to have a full training camp,” he said. “Like I was traded in the middle of the season, so I’m excited about that. Excited about the growth and the potential that a lot of the young guys have, and the experiences that we were able to have this last season competing for a playoff spot, making the playoffs, and then playing against a really good team.”
That “really good team” was New York, which Atlanta met in the first round. The Hawks grabbed a 2-1 series lead before the Knicks ripped off a historic 13-game winning streak on the way to the NBA title. McCollum thinks that kind of matchup will pay off down the line.
“It teaches you how to be better and make moments,” he said. “It teaches you how to execute.
Also teaches you how to prepare. So I’m really just excited about the opportunity to have some more growth moments together as a team.”
Elsewhere in the Southeast, Malik Reneau gave Orlando a strong finish in Las Vegas. He scored 19 points in 18 minutes off the bench Saturday to help the Magic beat Boston and wrap up a 4-1 Summer League run.
The 6-foot-9 forward, who agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Orlando after last month’s draft, was among the players who saw bigger roles while the Magic sat four rotation regulars. Reneau credited the group’s edge on defense.
“I liked our aggressiveness,” Reneau said. “The way we came out on that defensive end, we got some stops and (were) able to run out and get some easy baskets in transition.”
In Washington, optimism has surged around AJ Dybantsa, whom team owner Ted Leonsis described as a “next-generation prototype.” Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN noted that Dybantsa’s arrival has brought a level of hope the franchise hasn’t felt in a long time.
Pairing him with Trae Young and Anthony Davis, both acquired in trades last season, gives the Wizards a different look, especially alongside a solid group of young prospects. That mix could put Washington in the conversation for the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Young said the team will hold workouts in Los Angeles this summer, and Dybantsa is already looking forward to learning from the veterans around him. “When you’re playing with a guy of that stature, I’ll definitely get easy shots from him if nothing else,” Dybantsa said of Young. “[AD] was the No. 1 pick many years back, so he’s been through a lot of the stuff that I’ve got to go through.”
Davis also said he had “conversations” with LeBron James about coming to Washington, even though the Wizards didn’t match the profile James was seeking in free agency.
In Other News...
Mavericks Just Made The Anthony Davis Trade Look Worse For Themselves
When Washington sent Anthony Davis to Dallas, the Mavericks came away with a traded player exception that gave them some flexibility to reshape the roster later. That kind of asset can be useful in the right deal, especially for a team trying to recover value after a major trade, and its the sort of mechanism front offices often point to as part of the return even when the headline player is gone.
Dallas has now put that exception to work in a move that has drawn mixed reaction around the league, and it only adds another layer to how the Davis deal is being judged. The Mavericks were already under pressure to show they had gotten enough back, and the latest transaction has only intensified the debate over whether using that flexibility this way was the best path forward. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Just Made The Alex Sarr Pick Look Even Better
When the Wizards took Alex Sarr in the 2024 NBA Draft, the pick was always about more than one player. Washington saw a long-term cornerstone for its rebuild, and Sarrs early promise has only made that bet look better as the franchise keeps trying to build a young core with real upside.
Now the draft-night comparison with Zaccharie Risacher has taken on a new twist. The two were linked as top selections from the same class, and with Risacher no longer in Atlanta, the path to future showdowns has changed in a way that only adds to the intrigue around Sarrs development and where his career goes next. [Read more 🡒]
Trae Young Just Brought More Knicks Drama To Washington
Trae Youngs arrival in Washington was supposed to be about a fresh start, a new backcourt, and a franchise trying to climb out of the rebuild with a proven point guard at the controls. After seven and a half seasons in Atlanta, he signed on with the Wizards and immediately became the most recognizable name in a room built around development, patience and the hope that one veteran can help accelerate the process.
Instead, Young has already reminded everyone that his Knicks storyline travels with him. He recently posted a video of himself cruising around New York while revisiting his old highlights against the Knicks, a familiar bit of theater from a player who has long leaned into that rivalry. For Washington, it is another glimpse of the edge and personality it is getting, even if the bigger question remains how that swagger fits with a team trying to build something steadier around him. [Read more 🡒]