CJ McCollum entered the NBA back in 2013. He was the 10th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers and signed a two-year, $4.74 million rookie contract, per Spotrac.
During his rookie season, McCollum made $2,316,720 and averaged 5.3 points in 12.5 minutes per game. He appeared in only 38 games due to injury, so there were early questions about his durability in the NBA.
CJ McCollum, though, silenced some of those doubters in his second year. He played in 62 games while making $2,421,000. The Ohio native put up 6.8 points while shooting 43.6 percent from the field.
The Blazers were happy for CJ and his second-year success but were going to be patient when it came to his rookie-scale extension.
In his third season in the league, McCollum had a breakout year by averaging 20.8 points per game and winning the Most Improved Player of the Year Award. CJ was making only $2,525,160 but he was setting himself up for that lucrative extension we just mentioned.
The Blazers fully committed to CJ McCollum in the summer of 2016, giving the scoring guard a four-year, $106 million rookie extension. The contract was set to kick in during the 2017-18 season.
In 2016-17, McCollum put up 23.0 points per game. He was now firmly established as one of the best scorers in the NBA. This campaign was the last year McCollum got paid like a rookie. He made $3,219,579 but saw his annual salary spike up to $23,962,572 in 2017-18 when his extension kicked in.
Despite making elite money, though, CJ didn't let it get to his head. He remained humble and still worked hard for everything. McCollum averaged 21.4 points during the 2017-18 season and helped the Blazers win 49 games.
However, the team got swept in the first round of the 2018 playoffs by Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Following that sweep, pundits around the NBA were convinced that the Blazers had to split up Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. However, GM Neil Olshey still believed in his core and didn't make any drastic changes in the summer of 2018.
His players rewarded him by winning 53 games in 2018-19 and getting all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
McCollum put up 21.0 points per game in the regular season and 25.3 points in the 2019 postseason. His stellar play earned him a three-year, $100 million extension from the Blazers in the offseason of 2019.
Before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to COVID-19, CJ McCollum was scheduled to make $27,556,959. He was averaging 22.5 points for the Blazers while shooting 45.3 percent from the field in 62 games.
Whenever the 2020-21 season starts, McCollum will make $29,354,152. After his latest extension ends, CJ will have made $217,115,908 with the Blazers.
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