According to Jason Quick of the Athletic, teams have been offering the Portland Trail Blazers early selections in the 2021 NBA Draft in return for CJ McCollum. Quick has noted that the Blazers have been adamant in declining these proposals.
General Manager Neil Olshey and the rest of the front office have identified that the team will need to upgrade its number two option if they’re to compete for a championship. While finding a brighter star to shine next to Damian Lillard is a clear-cut way to elevate the team’s ceiling, it’s not the only way or necessarily the easiest.
Outside of CJ, Portland doesn’t have many trade chips to play with. At this point in his career, McCollum is still a valuable piece, but his value as a trade asset isn’t as high as his value as a contributor on the court. Finding a way to move him for a better number two option seems like a pipe dream at this juncture.
The Portland Trail Blazers might be better off trading for a high draft pick
Olshey may not admit it, but moving McCollum for a top draft pick along with some solid role players could be the team’s best option at this point.
Even if the Blazers don’t have plans for that pick in their future, that’s a valuable asset that could help them land a bigger fish than McCollum would straight up.
If Olshey does identify a prospect that could help the Blazers in the short-term and in the future, he shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. The ceiling on a Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum backcourt has been solidified and it’s not at championship-level. There are some top-end prospects in this draft that could be a perfect fit for the Blazers if they choose to go that route.