CJ McCollum
If the Portland Trail Blazers decided to hold onto Damian Lillard, they should shake up the roster around him. They have been eliminated from the playoffs in the first round four out of the last five years, so something has to change. Could this include a CJ McCollum trade?
That appears to be so since the best way to shake up and add some more pieces to the roster would be by trading away CJ McCollum. The scoring guard could net them some pieces to remain contenders in the Western Conference playoff picture. Trading him to the Boston Celtics would help them achieve that.
The Celtics need a third scorer behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to help get back into the thick of things in the Eastern Conference. CJ McCollum would give them an explosive third option and someone that can help overcome the loss of Kemba Walker.
CJ McCollum isn’t a true point guard, but he is a capable playmaker, averaging a career-high 4.7 per game this past season. Portland could target a package including guard, Marcus Smart. He would greatly improve the team’s defense and make for a perfect complement to Lillard in the backcourt. Smart could spearhead the defense while Lillard leads the offense.
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Boston could also include veteran Tristan Thompson, giving Portland an experienced backup center. Recent draft picks such as Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard could also be on the table. A future first-round pick, since the Celtics already traded away their 2021 first-rounder, could also be used to sweeten the deal for CJ McCollum.
Best Landing Spot: Boston Celtics