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Trail Blazers: 3 CJ McCollum trades with California teams

By Joe Capraro

CJ McCollum, Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, trade (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
CJ McCollum, Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, trade (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Nicolas Batum, CJ McCollum, trade
Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Nicolas Batum, CJ McCollum, trade. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

The Clippers need an upgrade to get back in the title conversation.

For most of this season, the middle of the Western Conference has been clogged by a fatberg of teams hovering around the .500 mark. The Los Angeles Clippers currently sit atop this heap at 17-16, in fifth place.

That’s despite Kawhi Leonard’s zero minutes played as he recovers from knee surgery. As the season’s games tick away, it becomes less likely we’ll see the cautious Leonard rush his return. The Clippers also have a top-heavy salary cap situation lined up for the next few seasons, with more than $300 million committed to their top two players through 2025.

Los Angeles gets a backcourt partner for Reggie Jackson and a potential big three for next season. Covington and Nurkic and their expiring deals give the Clippers some frontcourt depth in support of the emerging Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein and some flexibility for the offseason.

The Blazers get a significant upgrade on defense at four spots and a much more swappable set of pieces. Batum gets to finish his career where he started and thrived, and Bledsoe gets to pair with Lillard.

Bledsoe and Morris come with substantial but palatable salary figures — Bledsoe at $19.4 million for one more year and Morris for two years at $33 million total, and Ibaka’s deal expires this season. Batum has a player option for $3.32 million he’d likely accept to stay in Portland another year.

This move is a substantial shakeup for both teams but leaves them both in better position for 2022-23. McCollum may have to drive out to Orange County to find some prime vineyard land, but sharing the court with Paul George — and eventually Leonard as well — should soften that blow.