LA Clippers Receive: G CJ McCollum
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G Luke Kennard, F/C Jaxson Hayes, F Marcus Morris Jr., G Devonte’ Graham, 2022 First-Round Pick (LAL), 2023 First-Round Pick (LAL), 2024 First-Round Pick (NOP), 2027 First-Round Pick (LAC)
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: G Damian Lillard
Portland Trail Blazers fans should meet this modification of the last deal with a shrug. They’re impartial to the Clippers’ inclusion here. The New Orleans Pelicans may stand to benefit from it.
Firstly, they allow them to include one less first-round pick in their package. They also avoid reuniting Lillard and McCollum. Whether that’s a positive depends on your vantage point, but we’d wager the Pels would be better off with defensive ace Herb Jones suiting up alongside Lillard in the backcourt.
Here, the LA Clippers land McCollum instead. They need a point guard, but McCollum will suffice. We saw him play that role for the Pelicans with some success this year.
This, of course, is exactly why this deal improbable. The New Orleans Pelicans could easily favor continuity over parting with assets to land Lillard. That would be reasonable, but if they want to make a big splash, acquiring Lillard would certainly qualify.
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It could improve their championship odds in the process.
