There was much made about the future of Damian Lillard with the Portland Trail Blazers during the NBA offseason. He never ended up demanding a trade, but regardless, it’s clear the team needs to make some changes.
The Trail Blazers have underachieved once again and will be without Damian Lillard for what is expected to be 10 days as he recovers from an abdominal injury. Portland already has a losing record (11-12) and is toward the bottom of the seeding for the NBA play-in tournament.
The options are not great for the Trail Blazers when it comes to pondering potential meaningful roster changes. Portland had an underwhelming offseason with free agent additions and lacks trade assets in order to shake things up in a major way.
The best option the Trail Blazers have is to part with CJ McCollum if a major change is what is desired. It wouldn’t be an easy choice to part with a player who is averaging 20.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. However, there are some scenarios where it could make sense to do so.
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The Philadelphia 76ers are a team who could use a player with McCollum’s skill-set. As Ben Simmons continues to not be part of the organization, the team faces the need to replace production in the backcourt. Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry have stepped up, but more always helps.
Let’s take a look at an NBA trade scenario focused on CJ McCollum that would involve both the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers.