CJ McCollum – Portland Trail Blazers
While he has never been an All-Star, CJ McCollum is in his 9th NBA season and is as close to an All-Star as there can be. Being next to Damian Lillard his entire career, McCollum does not always get the credit that he deserves.
Last season, he averaged a career-high 23.1 points per game on 40.2% shooting from deep and so far this season, the veteran shooting guard is averaging 20.6 points on 39.3% three-point shooting. McCollum’s career has been very impressive to this point, but it would be really interesting to see him out of Lillard’s shadow.
Being able to be the featured scorer on a different team, we could really see CJ McCollum thrive late in his career and become a first-time All-Star at some point. Given the Blazers’ struggles this season and their lack of assets, it is very believable that McCollum could be on the move at some point.
Ben Simmons has long been rumored to be a potential trade target of the Portland Trail Blazers and now, with their defensive struggles being put on notice, Myles Turner is a name that has also come up in rumors recently.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving Starts Process To Return To Brooklyn Nets
Both guys have big contracts that the Blazers would have trouble taking on and given each of their values, CJ McCollum would almost definitely be on the move in any attempts for Portland to acquire either Simmons or Turner.
Even if the Trail Blazers do not pursue one of those guys and they decide to rebuild, leveraging McCollum seems like the best move for them because of his value.
CJ McCollum would undoubtedly be the best scorer on the trade book this season and under contract through the 2023-24 season, a team that trades for him would not have to worry about him leaving anytime soon.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving Starts Process To Return To Brooklyn Nets
Currently 11-18, the Trail Blazers playoff hopes continue to take a hit every single day, which is why change is on the horizon for them. With an interim general manager looking to get the “interim” tag taken away, it would not be shocking to see this organization make a big move in the near future.
Damian Lillard is not going anywhere and trading CJ McCollum for a ton of value could be a statement move for Joe Cronin to make to solidify his position within this Blazers’ front-office.
