The Portland Trail Blazers made a major move ahead of the NBA trade deadline by moving Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the LA Clippers in an effort to ‘create a runway’ for Anfernee Simons amid his breakout.
With Eric Bledsoe’s contract being guaranteed for just $3.9 million for the 2022-23 season, the Trail Blazers will have a real pathway to clear significant salary cap spending obligations.
The contract of CJ McCollum accounts for $33.33M of the Trail Blazers’ salary cap spending obligations for next season—making him a logical option to be dealt ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Assuming Bledsoe were to be waived, Portland’s only player set to make $10 million would be Damian Lillard. That will surely change after various signings are made, particularly after Anfernee Simons reaches restricted free agency..
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: These 3 Teams Should Pursue Trade For Blazers’ CJ McCollum
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, there is an expectation from rival NBA executives that CJ McCollum will be moved by the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the trade deadline.
With the emergence of Simons and the selling off of veterans like Powell and Covington, rival executives around the league believe the Trail Blazers will move CJ McCollum by the trade deadline or this offseason as Portland continues to reshape its roster around franchise star Damian Lillard.
While McCollum is a bit undersized as a shooting guard, his shot creation and playmaking ability is rare to find and there are many teams around the NBA that could benefit from his impact. Whether it’s in a featured role or as a complementary talent in the backcourt, he can help.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: These 3 Teams Should Pursue Trade For Blazers’ CJ McCollum
Scotto reported that two suitors that are expected to have interest in a trade for McCollum include the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.
Several teams, including the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and others, are expected to have interest in trading for McCollum, who is owed $69.13 million over the next two seasons.
The Dallas Mavericks do have Jalen Brunson in the backcourt alongside Luka Doncic and having that secondary ball handler presence has gone a long way. However, Brunson is also an undersized guard but lacks the dimensions of consistent perimeter shot creation that CJ McCollum brings to the table.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: These 3 Teams Should Pursue Trade For Blazers’ CJ McCollum
As for the New Orleans Pelicans, they sorely lack shot creation, in general. Having the option of pairing McCollum with the likes of Zion Williamson would offer a fascinating two-man game in DHOs, ball screens, and off-ball screening actions. With Brandon Ingram on the wing, that’s a lot of firepower.
