CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers.
One reason to break up the backcourt is the need to spread out talent to the forward positions. The other reason is to try and improve the defense at the guard positions. So let’s talk about what the team could look like if they decide to trade CJ McCollum.
My first thought is that any package for CJ would have to be oriented behind an automatic upgrade at one of the forward positions. Trade ideas that involve picks and a lesser talent won’t get it done. Moving CJ means cashing out your best trade chip to get the team closer to contention and get Dame to stay loyal to the franchise.
It wouldn’t make sense to trade CJ for another guard with the Norman Powell signing, as Powell performs better at shooting guard than he does as a small forward. Portland already has its CJ. A trade for a center wouldn’t make sense with Nurkic still on the roster, so most likely, you’d end up with a trade where Robert Covington would take on the opposite forward spot of whoever would be coming back in any CJ trade scenario.
Two players I’ve heard mentioned in a possible CJ trade scenario are Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris. Portland and Philadelphia have a weird connection right now, It seems. I firmly believe the 76ers would jump on a Harris for McCollum trade, but Portland would rather snag Ben Simmons. Philadelphia is hanging onto Ben Simmons as the centerpiece of any outgoing Damian Lillard trade if he should become available. It’s become a little dizzying.
Another name I’ve heard mentioned in trade rumors is Pascal Siakam. Siakam would give the team the kind of top-notch talent at power forward that they lacked since LaMarcus Aldridge bailed.
Let’s look at what those players would look like in a Blazers uniform.
A CJ for Tobias Harris move would immediately add size and balance to the roster. Harris would likely slot in at small forward. He’s a capable defender and reliable scorer, allowing Powell to move to shooting guard. The Blazers would remain just as lethal from three as they’ve been in recent years, but they’d have a player with size who could attack the basket and get to the free-throw line more often.
McCollum might be a better talent than Harris at this point, but with Powell taking over CJ’s spot at shooting guard, you’d fix one of the team’s glaring weaknesses, perimeter defense at the guard positions. The drawback of this trade is relying on the rest of the roster beyond Dame to produce an actual second All-Star level player. They would need Jusuf Nurkic to finally play to his potential or Harris and/or Powell to take that next step.
I like the balance a Harris trade brings to the Portland Trail Blazers. But it cashes out that McCollum chip without a guarantee that Portland now has a second all-star that Dame has desperately needed in recent years.
Still not at the age when most players hit their prime, at 25 years old, Ben Simmons is the most talked-about potential trade target. He’s the one I currently am most excited about possibly getting. Arguably the best perimeter defender in the game, Simmons could cause all sorts of problems for opposing offenses. That kind of ability would allow Covington and Nurkic to be in a more “attack mode” on defense rather than the “damage control” roles they currently have.
Drawbacks about Simmons’ ability to shoot the basketball are warranted. Still, even with that slight, he’s scored 15.9 points per game on 56 percent field goal shooting in his young four-year career. Which would mean he is highly effective at getting to the basket and making his shots around the rim. A 6’11” slasher known for phenomenal court vision (career average of 7.7 assists per game) while being the primary ball-handler on a team that was the one seed in the Eastern Conference this past season.
Adding Pascal Siakam to a starting lineup of Dame, Powell, Covington, and Nurkic would give Portland two all-stars and three above-average starters. All are capable of impacting the game on both sides of the ball. In addition, Siakam is a top-notch defender who developed into a 20-plus point-per-game scorer in recent seasons. He would be an instant fit with the team.
At only 27 years of age, the Portland Trail Blazers would also be getting Siakam at just the right time. The time when a player is hitting their peak and prime years. Powell and Covington then get moved back to their natural positions. Nurkic has a fellow big who can space the floor while also being a threat in the paint. Teams could no longer put their best interior defender on Nurkic without repercussions.
Potential trade talks have gone quiet. Siakam is back home rehabbing from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He underwent surgery in June. Also, Masai Ujiri announced that the rift between Coach Nick Nurse and Siakam that occurred last season had been healed. They sat down together, and whatever beef they had is squashed. They’re looking forward to next season.
What do you think about the Portland Trail Blazers moving CJ McCollum? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.