CJ McCollum’s injury may affect the Portland Trail Blazers ability to navigate the trade market
It’s no secret that CJ McCollum‘s tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers might be coming to an end soon. His pairing with superstar point guard, Damian Lillard, has run its course, and while it has provided plenty of thrills in its heyday, it’s obvious that it is not a formula for a championship contender. McCollum, though, was recently diagnosed with a collapsed lung which may affect the Trail Blazers ability to navigate the waters of the trade market for the foreseeable future.
According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, there is still no set timetable for CJ’s return. A collapsed lung is a tricky injury. Depending on its severity, this ailment can take anywhere from a few days to two months to heal on its own.
While McCollum’s scoring presence has been and will continue to be sorely missed on the court, the implications of his injury off the court may be even more imperative.
December 15th is an important date on the NBA calendar. In a regular league year, this date marks the point when players who were acquired in free agency become available to be traded and acquired via trade.
Much of the renewed impetus surrounds Wednesday, when 84 percent of the league's 446 players become eligible to be traded. Right now, 65 percent are eligible to be moved. https://t.co/f2nYMp353z
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 10, 2021
Wednesday the 15th won’t be as active as say the trade deadline, but with a nearly 20 percent increase in eligible players, there are sure to be some advances in trade talks.
Contrary to popular belief, injured players can be traded — a myth that may have been crafted because of NBA 2K’s block on this action. While a collapsed lung is not as severe an injury as it sounds, it can certainly put some pause into the minds of general managers who may be interested in acquiring the former Lehigh University star.
If the Blazers sit out the 15th needing McCollum to make a full recovery, they may miss out on some potential deals as well. If Interim General Manager Joe Cronin decides to move CJ for a package of valuable role players who can match McCollum’s salary, if one or more of those players was recently traded, they won’t be eligible to be included in an aggregate trade for 60 days thereafter.
All-in-all, McCollum’s injury is less severe than it sounds, on and off the court, however, there are some implications that might affect the Trail Blazers down the line.