CJ McCollum wins J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award

McCollum was one of five finalists for the award, along with Miami Heat assistant coach Caron Butler, Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. The finalists were chosen by a committee of PBWA members from nominees submitted by NBA teams. The winner was determined by a vote of the entire PBWA, which is composed of more than 200 writers and editors who cover the NBA regularly for newspapers, magazines and online news outlets. -via NBA.com / May 20, 2024

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. -via HoopsHype / May 10, 2024

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