Portland Trail Blazers: Talking about CJ McCollum to NYK trade rumors

PNWS Staff |

Feb 7, 2022

CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers.

AE: The Blazers need to get roughly $30M in salary coming back in a CJ deal. Randle is $21M, next closest Knick is Fournier at $14M. For New York to get McCollum, Randle would have to be the main piece with filler.

AE: Portland also wants to open up minutes for Simons and have Bledsoe under contract, too. Adding four years of an overpaid and washed-up player like Evan Fournier wouldn’t be too enticing.

ES: CJ gets $33.3M AAV, Portland has to receive Randle, or it wouldn’t work. They’d also have to get someone else.

Concerns

CP: Randle had a career year last season

AE: Last year, Randle shot worse than his career field goal percentage, rebounded about the same, and saw his assist go up dramatically because he was running the offense. He played in a system that accentuated his strengths. The only thing about last year that he might not replicate again was shooting 41 percent from three-point range.

Teresa Powe (TP)

First, Randle can’t handle being the primary option. Second, Rob, you gave me chills. You are spot on!

ES: Randle is such an unreliable guy.

TP: It’s not that he’s unreliable a player…he cannot be the #1 guy.

ES: Fair point.

AE: I think Randle would be very happy as the Portland Trail Blazers point forward. Do some creating, some rebounding. He hasn’t been an ego problem at all.

RR: I think of the old Pistons 2004 team that didn’t have any superstars but had an above-average starting f who were fringe all-stars based on team success. I think that is the exact kind of roster Chauncey would prefer to coach and develop. I think Randle would fit right into that kind of setup.

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Do you think the Portland Trail Blazers should trade CJ McCollum for Julius Randle? Let us know in the comments section below.