Trae Young has named the Washington Wizards as his preferred landing spot in a trade from the Atlanta Hawks. Meanwhile, NBA insider Marc Stein reports that a trade centered around CJ McCollum's expiring contract has been discussed. It's worth noting that Young, McCollum, and Wizards sharpshooter Corey Kispert are all unavailable for their respective matchups, signaling that our anticipated first move of trade season may be on the horizon.
But what if the Portland Trail Blazers got in on the action?
Portland has historically been quiet in past deadlines, but things could be different this time around. They have much more incentive to buy at the deadline, thanks to Deni Avdija's leap and their 9th-place standing in the Western Conference.
ESPN's NBA insiders previously proposed a trade that would send Jerami Grant and Robert Williams to the Hawks in exchange for Trae Young. But the Blazers shouldn't want Trae Young. And with Young now naming the Wizards as his top destination, it would be surprising if he went anywhere else.
What if we turned this into a three-team deal that sends former Blazers star CJ McCollum back to Portland instead?
Mock trade gives CJ McCollum the Blazers reunion he deserves
Blazers fans already got one half of their storybook return thanks to the Milwaukee Bucks surprisingly deciding to waive and stretch Damian Lillard this offseason. Why not McCollum, too?
The undersized, offensive-minded backcourt didn't equate to playoff success in past years, but this is a different Blazers team this time around. They would be considered luxuries rather than necessities. Additionally, Portland finally has the frontcourt pieces to cover for any defensive limitations.
CJ McCollum is 34 years old and isn't a perfect fit for the Blazers' rebuilding timeline, but they are expected to be buyers as an up-and-coming team that is too talented to bottom out. McCollum is also on an expiring $30.6 million contract, giving the Blazers much more financial flexibility compared to Jerami Grant's massive deal.
Corey Kispert would be a steal for Portland
Perhaps even more important than the feel-good McCollum reunion would be the addition of Kispert. Shooting is the one thing Portland desperately needs to address at the deadline, and the Gonzaga product is a career 38.3% three point shooter. He's also on a team-friendly contract, owed roughly $13 million over each of the next four seasons.
This would be a win-win for both the Wizards and Blazers, but it remains to be seen whether the Hawks would pull the trigger. Part of the reason behind trading their star guard is to get off his massive $49 player option for next season. Would they want to take on a cheaper contract in Grant even though he's on the books for one additional year? This deal is absolutely worth it for Portland to the point where it wouldn't be a bad idea to entice Atlanta with draft capital to get it done.
Ultimately, it's unlikely the Blazers are the middlemen if and when a Trae Young-Wizards trade happens. But these are the types of trades they should look to get involved in to upgrade their roster and get back to the postseason.