“Damian Lillard needs to get the hell out of there ASAP” - Stephen A. Smith ‘disgusted’ by the Portland Trail Blazers trading away CJ McCollum

CJ McCollum was acquired by the New Orleans Pelicans last Tuesday. In a trade that would send out Pelicans guards Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickel Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada, New Orleans also gave up a protected first-round pick and two second-round picks to Portland. The Trail Blazers sent back Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell in addition to McCollum.

The first-round pick is No. 5 to 14 protected for 2022, and if it fails to convert this year, the first-rounder will come in the future for the Trail Blazers.

Stephen. A Smith 'disgusted' by the Portland Trail Blazers trading CJ McCollum

Stephen A. Smith voiced his opinion on ESPN’s Tuesday episode of “First Take”, explaining his disappointment in the Portland Trail Blazers and their recent trade. In the video, Smith outlines:

“Chauncey Billups as far as I’m concerned is set up to fail. It’s not a great situation for anybody in Portland other than the young players. And Damian Lillard needs to get the hell out of there.”

With CJ McCollum gone, the era of Portland’s franchise backcourt has now come to an end. Fellow guard Damian Lillard now stands alone. Ever since CJ McCollum broke through as a starter in 2015, he has been one of the top shooters in the league. Averaging 3.2 makes from beyond the arc this season on 38.4% shooting, he ranks seventh in three-pointers made in the NBA since that 2015 breakout year.

The Pelicans have been severely lacking in their accuracy from deep this season, so luckily for New Orleans, CJ McCollum patches a large hole for them. They are shooting only 32.9% as a team, putting them in 26th place.

Portland made the trade in an epic move to attempt to rebuild their roster around their star Damian Lillard. Looking to sign their young star Anfernee Simons to a contract extension, they were hoping to make room financially. The Trail Blazers made $20.8 million for trade exception will the deal, and could end up with $60 million in cap space.

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Joe Cronin was promoted to the position of GM in December 2021, after Neil Olshey was fired following an investigation into front-office toxicity. Since being promoted, Cronin has traded a majority of Portland’s core.

On February 4th, starters Norman Powell and Robert Covington were traded to the Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick from the Detroit Pistons. Fans are now focusing their attention toward Portland center Just Nurkic, as his $12 million salary is expiring soon.

CJ McCollum’s absence will be significant. He has averaged 20 points per game for seven years. In this 2021-22 NBA season, McCollum is averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists. An impressive force alongside Damian Lillard, the Trail Blazers have a big spot to fill in their rebuild attempt.

The Portland Trailblazers are currently 11th in the Western Conference with a 21-33 record. With the trade deadline fast approaching more than halfway through the season, the squad looks to be cutting their losses. If GM Joe Cronin can quickly make the right moves needed, the team may be able to execute a thorough rebuild in time for next season. Otherwise, Portland may be looking at building team chemistry at the start of the next campaign.

In any case, Stephen A. Smith stands to be correct. The Trail Blazers are not in a great position at the moment. As Damian Lillard has firmly stated his devotion to Portland in the past, one may wonder how true he will stay to his word. If Cronin cannot keep his promise after all of these big moves, Lillard might be left with a mess he does not want to clean up alone.