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Portland Trail Blazers: 7 Potential CJ McCollum Trades

By Nathan Powers

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 06: Tobias Harris #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks during Game One of the Eastern Conference second round series at Wells Fargo Center on June 06, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 06: Tobias Harris #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks during Game One of the Eastern Conference second round series at Wells Fargo Center on June 06, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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It feels like for 5 years every NBA writer has been trying to get Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum traded, and up until now, I have pushed back.

CJ is awesome.

He is one of the most well-spoken players in the league and is a great voice to have in Portland.

He has such a unique skill set that you really can’t find in free agency or hardly anywhere in the league for that matter.

The problem is that Dame has that skill set and is just better across the board, no knock on CJ, Dame is a borderline top 5 player in the league and I think we have finally seen that ceiling for the two of them together in the backcourt was making a conference finals in 2019.

They are both special offensive players and below-average defensive players. The transition has never been easier than right now to make a move, we have his successor on our team right now in Norman Powell. Powell may not be quite the offensive player that CJ is but he is 90% of it and is a substantial upgrade on the other side of the floor. Powell is a free agent and letting him walk away for nothing would be a travesty for our cap-stricken roster.

So, the question really becomes what could we get for CJ if he is available?

After spending too long on ESPN’s trade machine I have compiled a list of potential teams that could be interested and have the contracts to get a deal done.

Portland Trail Blazers: 7 Potential CJ McCollum Trades

It is important to keep in mind that most of these deals are not going to look great to you on paper, but what this team needs are defense, depth, and bigger wings.