Blazers should consider trading CJ McCollum during NBA Draft 2018

NBA fans seem to be anticipating this year’s draft more than they have in recent years. Rumors abound — along with the feeling that something big is going to happen. Will the Blazers be involved?

What could the Portland Trail Blazers get in exchange for CJ McCollum?

Now, right off the bat, I suspect many readers are puzzled by this question. After all, hasn’t Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey said that McCollum was not available?

He has. When Olshey met with reporters in 2017 after the team’s exit interviews, he was asked if either Damian Lillard or McCollum were “off limits.” Here’s what he said:

"The odds of anything ever coming up of commensurate value is so hard to even fathom. I could give you the trite answer that nobody is untradable, but clearly they are."

Saying “nobody is untradable” may be trite, but that doesn’t mean it’s false.

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So let’s play devil’s advocate.

Blazers and CJ

I like CJ McCollum, and I like his game. (I also like the fact that he’s a journalist and a mentor for young colleagues.) I’m just not sold on the idea that his game and the Portland Trail Blazers are a perfect match.

McCollum isn’t much of a facilitator (career 2.9 assists per game). He’s not an aggressive rebounder (career 3.0 rebounds per game). And he rarely gets to the free thrown line (just 2.6 free throw attempts per game). His defense is adequate.

Plus, his 17.0 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) in 2017-2018 was the same as Zaza Pachulia and — get ready for this — Mason Plumlee. (For the record, I’m aware that PER stats are limited in what they can reveal about a player; but they do provide a useful guideline.)

CJ can score, though. Wow, can he score! And his arsenal of midrange jumpers, floaters, step-backs and deft ball-handling are great fun to watch.

But it seems to me that his particular skill set might be better suited on a team which already has two top scorers. Can you imagine a team on which McCollum (career 17.2 points per game on 45.4 percent shooting, including 40.8 percent from three) was the third offensive option?

I’ll bet that a lot of franchises would love to put a team like that on the floor. And perhaps the Blazers — despite Olshey’s protestations — would be willing to part with McCollum if what they got in return also made them a better team.

Naturally, right?

But how easy — or even likely — is that to happen?

Devil’s Advocate

It’s impossible to know what the Blazers are thinking on this score. With radio silence from the franchise, all we have to go on is what Olshey said in 2017 about the likelihood of trading McCollum.

Various scenarios have been proposed in print, online and on the airwaves regarding a potential McCollum trade. (The most recent, as far as I can tell, was posted on OregonLive.)

The “NBA Trade Machine” at ESPN.com is a nifty tool. I goofed around with it for a while and found some trades that appeared to make sense for the teams involved. (For example, McCollum to the Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns and Taj Gibson.)

But trade scenarios ain’t my bag, baby. And the Blazers are facing a financial situation that ranks among the trickiest in the league.

All I’m Sayin’

All I’m saying is that Olshey should be willing to part with McCollum if that “commensurate value” appears in the form of a trade with another team. And with the Blazers holding the 24th overall pick in the draft, perhaps they can add some value of their own to a potential trade.

Next: Blazers have done quite well with the No. 24 pick

Portland got skunked in the playoffs, and the team’s main weakness — a lack of depth — was exposed in dramatic fashion. As much as I like McCollum’s game, he’s always been someone I’d be willing to part with for the right return.

With so much talk about big things happening during the NBA Draft on Thursday, I’ll be waiting to see if Portland is willing and able to make a move that truly rocks the foundations of the franchise — and makes them a more successful team.