The Portland Trail Blazers were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs this season and they have already made a big move by moving on from head coach Terry Stotts. More big moves could be on the horizon this offseason, with star guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum being at the center of the rumors. Portland could choose to run it back again, but a trade for one of their star back-court members would make sense and the Cleveland Cavaliers could get involved.
According to a report from Jabari Young of CNBC, the Cavaliers are a potential trade destination for McCollum this offseason.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers were mentioned as one possible destination for McCollum.”
In addition to the Cavaliers, the San Antonio Spurs were mentioned as a potential landing spot for McCollum. Plenty of other teams would love to pull off a trade for him as well. The Trail Blazers could be a very busy team this offseason.
During the 2020-21 NBA season with the Trail Blazers, McCollum ended up averaging 23.1 points per game to go along with 4.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds. He shot 45.8 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 40.2 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers show exactly why teams would pay a hefty price to acquire him.
Should the Cavaliers be able to pull off a trade for him, they would instantly have their franchise centerpiece. They have been needing to find a new leader since LeBron James and Kyrie Irving left town. McCollum would be a guy that they could build their roster around and they have plenty of pieces to make a trade happen.
At 29 years of age, a change of scenery might not be a horrible thing for CJ McCollum either. He has played his career with Damian Lillard as the focal point for the Trail Blazers. Being able to head to a new team where he is the go-to guy might just be something that helps McCollum break out as a bonafide superstar himself.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the Trail Blazers end up doing this offseason. If they do shop McCollum in trade talks, don’t be shocked to see the Cavaliers make a play to acquire him.
