CJ McCollum
What a disappointing year it was for the Portland Trail Blazers this season. Portland was lucky enough to draw a short-handed Denver Nuggets squad in the first round of the playoffs, and they still lost. As a direct result of another early exit in the postseason, Terry Stotts was fired by the Trail Blazers, creating an interesting vacancy in the Western Conference.
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Portland could go in a bunch of different directions this offseason, which could include blowing it up. While Damian Lillard is the least likely of the Trail Blazers’ dynamic duo to be traded, there’s a chance that teams inquire about his availability. It would be negligent for the Dallas Mavericks to not pursue Lillard if he’s made available. But if Lillard is off-limits, then Dallas could turn their attention to CJ McCollum.
CJ McCollum is another player that gets a ton of criticism in the NBA community. However, in the past six seasons, McCollum has been one of the most consistent scorers in the association, notching 20+ points per game in each of those seasons. It’s fair to say that McCollum would’ve made a couple All-Star teams if it weren’t for the Western Conference being loaded with guards.
A possible pairing of CJ McCollum and Luka Doncic is something that I’ve been intrigued by in recent weeks. Adding a ball-handler and three-level scorer like McCollum could be a perfect remedy for success in Dallas.
