The Trail Blazers were one of the league’s biggest surprises last season. No one thought they’d finish with the third-best record in the loaded Western Conference but there they were, piling up 49 victories and trailing only the Rockets and Warriors.
They also had a surprising postseason for a much different reason. They were swept by Anthony Davis and the Pelicans, creating some soul-searching for the front office.
GM Neil Olshey ultimately decided to keep his core group together, rather than break up his undersized backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Offensively, they can match up with any pair of guards in the league. They combined to average 48.3 PPG and 10.0 APG last season. Defensively, it’s an entirely different story. Basketball Reference’s Defensive Box Plus/Minus ranks both as below-average defenders.
Both players are signed through the next three seasons at substantial figures. Lillard is due nearly $100MM for the remainder of his deal; McCollum has approximately $82.5MM coming to him.
Even so, Lillard is an All-Star talent and McCollum is a prolific scorer. Both would have value on the open market.
Olshey made a long-term commitment to center Jusuf Nurkic in restricted free agency, giving the big man three guaranteed years. The Blazers’ forward group doesn’t quicken the pulse. They’re looking at a rotation of Evan Turner, Maurice Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu and Caleb Swanigan.
Dealing one of their guards for a top-flight forward would theoretically make the team more balanced. Certainly, in the star-laden West, it would seem that Portland would be hard-pressed to finish third again with the same group and could even struggle to make the postseason.
That leads us to our question of the day: Should the Blazers hold onto their prolific backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum or deal one of them for frontcourt help?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
I think at the trade deadline if they see how this team is McCollum should be traded.
I mean cleveland and portland match up here. Mccollum for Kevin Love seems to have appeal for both teams. Portland gets the inside help in Love and Mccollum helps cleveland with shooting. Salaries are similar so a deal could be involved with those 2.
I really think teams underestimate how nice of a thing it is to just be a relevant playoff contender every year. It’s not C.J. and Dame holding this team back. It’s the terrible contracts and decisions the front office has made: Meyers Leonard, Allen Crabbe x2, and Evan Turner
Agree with Chris. I would never trade Dame & CJ only if I get someone better than him, not the same or worst or a few players, assets all of that no, only for a proper established all-star, young & with years of control over him. So basically not realistic. Just keep them.
Blazers won’t have any serious possibility in winning a championship until all the bad contracts come off the books, so why bother trading a loyal player.
You don’t see Washington trying to trade John Wall or Bradley Beal, or Houston trying to trade CP3 or James Harden, and their financial restrictions are the same as the Trailblazers. The terms general managers use these days are trying to be competitive, trying to tank, or trying to win a title. A handful will spend a lot trying to win a title. A handful will tank. Most try to be competitive, put the best team on the floor to bring in as many fans as they can. Kevin Pritchard said this was what he wa trying to do, and he did it well.
Even though their financial restrictions are the same, they have much better supporting casts. Eric Gordon, Clint Capela, etc. and Otto Porter, Oubre, and Dwight Howard are far better than Evan Turner, Harkless, Meyers Leonard, and now not Ed Davis which is even worse. Nurkic is decent though, but that team is completely uninspiring other than those 3. If Turner could play like he did in Boston, they might have something going.
Jimmy to Portland and CJ to Minnesota.