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

Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has not spoken to Zion Williamson

Originally posted on Game 7 | By Anthony Amador | Last updated 2/20/22

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.

CJ McCollum — the president of the NBA Players Association — says he hasn’t spoken directly to teammate Zion Williamson.

McCollum tells TNT broadcast crew, “I know about as much as you do right now. But I’m going to get to the bottom of it.” pic.twitter.com/KXfBBn5tym

— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) February 20, 2022

“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.”

This article first appeared on Game 7 and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: