New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) dribbles against Dallas Mavericks center Dwight Powell (7). Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans acquired CJ McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers at the NBA trade deadline with one clear stated goal: pairing him up with Zion Williamson.

Clearly the front office wanted to pick up an offensively potent veteran leader who could add a degree of calmness and stability to an otherwise shaky roster. Unfortunately, things are already not going according to plan.

This week, McCollum made something of a troubling confession regarding his new teammate. In a conversation with the TNT crew at NBA All-Star weekend, he admitted that he has had no communication with Williamson.

“I haven’t had conversations [with] him directly,” McCollum said. “I’ve spoken with some people close to him [and] look forward to sitting down with him sooner than later. I know about as much as you do right now, but I’m gonna get to the bottom of it.”

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