How this benefits the Blazers:
The Blazers are essentially dealing McCollum in the belief that he and Lillard have reached their ceiling together as a duo. They are fantastic scorers that put constant pressure on defenses but they’re also with their limitations.
While the to-trade-or-not-to-trade CJ idea can be argued into the ground, there’s one thing that’s certain in the whole conversation: McCollum and Lillard will always be a below-average defensive backcourt. At 6’4 and 6’3 respectively, they oftentimes give up both height and physicality to their matchups. And while this pairing were better defensively than they ever had been last year, they will never be considered plus-defenders.
And while the club’s backcourt is not solely to blame, Portland’s defense this season has been mostly atrocious. In fact, over the past three weeks, the Blazers rank 29th in defensive rating at 117.1. They must improve in this area if they want any shot at making it past the first round and beyond.
In giving up McCollum and a first-round pick, the Blazers are getting back Josh Richardson and Kelly Olynyk, guys who could help on both sides of the floor.
Richardson is a two-way star in the making. He can guard both two- and three-guards, while creating offense on his own or fitting within it to knockdown triples at a reliable rate. Thus far this season, he is averaging 19.7 points, 3.3 assists, and four rebounds, while shooting 39.9% from deep.
Olynyk, as a seven footer, works as a big body inside on both ends who can also space the floor as either a power forward or center. For his career, he is a 37.1% three-point shooter and holds a +1.6 box plus-minus.
Portland will need an additional floor-spacer as the they will give up their second-year man, Zach Collins, to the Boston Celtics. While Collins has a high upside as both a defender and shooter, he may be a couple years out from making a truly significant impact.
Olynyk will never be the type of defender that Collins could be, but he is already as good of a shooter as Collins should hope to become.
In sending away Collins, along with Simons, the Blazers receive the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown. Although Brown appears to be hitting a third-year slump with Boston this year, he has proven he can fit well into a system as a shooter, strong finisher, and relentless defender. Like Richardson, he is a solid two-way player with more room to grow. For his career, he averages 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 36% from beyond the arc.
A starting lineup of Lillard, Richardson, Brown, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Jusuf Nurkic, with a second-unit of Seth Curry, Nik Stauskas, Evan Turner, Maurice Harkless, and Olynyk would be a legitimate squad.
The starters have the versatility to guard all five positions while being a threat offensively from everywhere on the floor. The bench remains a high-powered group that can make use of Turner’s best ability – which is to facilitate with the ball in his hands.