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CJ McCollum has been a constant part of recent NBA rumors, with the Portland Trail Blazers reportedly willing to move him in the coming offseason. The Portland Trail Blazers did not have their best of seasons and were knocked out of round 1 of the playoff series by the Denver Nuggets. With long-term stars CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard both close to their ceiling, the Trail Blazers will inadvertently look to shake things up in the offseason.
Damian Lillard’s incredible performances throughout the season have put extra pressure on the front office to surround him with players capable of challenging for the NBA championship next season. The Portland Trail Blazers have in CJ McCollum a big-money asset that they can use to get reinforcements, although most fans might not be happy with such a move. In this article, we look at whether the Portland Trail Blazers should indeed look to move CJ McCollum this season or not.
NBA Rumors: Should the Portland Trail Blazers look to move CJ McCollum on?
CJ McCollum was the first player ever to enter the NBA straight from a private school, and has been playing with Damian Lillard for close to a decade now. He was the 10th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft and won the most improved player award in 2016. McCollum himself suggested that he does not want to leave the Trail Blazers just as yet, and encouraged the front office to build the team around him and Lillard:
Regardless, the Portland Trail Blazers have been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs for five consecutive seasons now. Damian Lillard has title ambitions that he might as well choose to fulfill at another franchise. In this article, we look at the case for and against the Portland Trail Blazers in moving CJ McCollum on.
For:
#1 CJ McCollum’s contract
First and foremost, it is CJ McCollum’s hefty yearly salary that might force the Portland Trail Blazers’ hands. His upcoming contract extension guarantees him more than $30 million next season, and almost $70 million over the next two. McCollum is the biggest tradable asset that the Portland Trail Blazers have after Damian Lillard.
In such a scenario, their continuous failure to make it past the first round of the playoffs is bound to come to fruition at some point in time. Lillard is entering his 30s and has made his title ambitions known already. The two stars might have a long-term relationship, but the need for the Portland Trail Blazers to bring in reinforcements might as well end with CJ McCollum going the other way.
#2 CJ McCollum appears to have hit his ceiling
It would be fair to say that guard-pairing Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum is not going to earn the Portland Trail Blazers a championship. The 29-year old McCollum had an injury-affected first half of the season and had one of his best seasons with respect to numbers.
Coach Terry Stotts has already been given the sack and the Portland Trail Blazers look set to head in a new direction under a new coach. But they need to bring in reinforcements. CJ McCollum is already as close as he will ever be, and the Portland Trail Blazers might as well look to move him on this summer.
Against:
#1 CJ McCollum is still the Portland Trail Blazers’ 2nd best player
McCollum will argue that he is being hard done by, and the Portland Trail Blazers have not had a good season all over due to a bad luck with injuries. McCollum opened the season averaging more than 26 points per game in the first 12 matches before being forced out with an injury.
He was decent throughout the playoffs and in truth had his best ever season with respect to points and assists per game. CJ McCollum averaged 23.1 points and 4.7 assists throughout the season and also had his best ever-shooting efficiency of almost 51%. In such a scenario, the Portland Trail Blazers might as well decide to build around Lillard and McCollum, although they will need to move on other assets in order to bring in reinforcements.
#2 Finding a good deal
The Portland Trail Blazers might struggle to find a team that offers them a good-enough package for CJ McCollum. While one solution might be going to a struggling team such as the Cavaliers for a player in the mold of Collin Sexton, CJ McCollum’s salary might make it all the more difficult for the Trail Blazers to move him on.
Additionally, there is a lack of a suitable replacement, a new coach who might need time to evaluate the roster. The fact that there are other positions that arguably require more attention from the Portland Trail Blazers might result in them sticking with CJ McCollum for another year. They will attempt to build a title-challenging team around their star guard-pairing.
