Why Portland Trail Blazers Do This Trade

The Portland Trail Blazers need to shake things up on their roster. Unless Damian Lillard demands a trade out of town, the easiest way for the Trail Blazers to shake up and upgrade the roster is by trading away CJ McCollum.

In McCollum’s place, the team is getting Malcolm Brogdon. Brogdon is an excellent fit alongside Lillard as he excels as a secondary playmaker. Any questions about his ability to be a long-term point guard are mitigated with the presence of a star point guard next to him.

Brogdon will also help the team on defense. He gives their backcourt some much-needed size, as Lillard, McCollum, and Norman Powell are all 6’3” or shorter. His presence will help at the point of attack, as Lillard and McCollum were both below-average defenders.

Coming off of a career-high 21.6 points per game, Brogdon is an underrated scorer. His points per game average have increased every season in the NBA.

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While some people will be disappointed to see Nassir Little included in this deal, he moved further down the depth chart when the team acquired Larry Nance Jr. as part of a three-team deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls.

If including him in the deal nets Portland another solid wing producer in Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 first-round pick, he will be included 10 out of 10 times. Lamb has struggled with injuries but produced last season when on the court, knocking down 40.6 percent of his 3-point attempts.

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Many Portland fans likely are holding out hope that if CJ McCollum is traded, it will be for someone such as Ben Simmons. But, this is a solid package, as Brogdon and Lamb help the team win now and despite the lottery protection, land an asset in a future first-round pick.