The Portland Trail Blazers’ postseason implosion may lead to a major roster shakeup this summer, and the Philadelphia 76ers could be a possible trade partner.
As the Philadelphia 76ers took a 3-1 lead on Saturday with a road win in Miami, the Portland Trail Blazers’ season came to a disappointing end. New Orleans upset the Blazers in a series sweep, and now Portland is left questioning their future.
Portland GM Neil Olshey has repeatedly made it clear that the Blazers were going to build around the career arc of Damian Lillard after the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge in 2015. Three years later, their current roster couldn’t squeeze out one playoff win against the sixth-seeded Pelicans, who were missing All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.
It may be time for Portland to give up on the backcourt pairing of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, and instead look to balance out the rest of the roster around Lillard. Portland’s age-old issue has been their perimeter defense led by two score-first guards in Lillard and McCollum. Moving McCollum to strengthen their defense and create much-needed cap relief could be the right move to maximize the prime of Damian Lillard’s career.
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Portland is still suffering from the summer of 2016, when they signed Evan Turner, Meyers Leonard, and Maurice Harkless to four-year contracts. At this point, if they are looking for a roster shakeup, they need players on reasonable contracts who can help them win now, which is not an easy task.
Jusuf Nurkic and Ed Davis are both hitting free agency this summer, so Portland will most likely have to let one walk. After the inconsistent season Nurkic just had, I find it difficult for Portland to commit to him long-term.
The 76ers may be a sensible trade partner for Portland, should they look to move McCollum. The Sixers are a realistic landing spot for LeBron James, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard. But if all of those options fall through, McCollum would be a very intriguing target.
The Blazers’ defense collapsed against New Orleans, and they should be looking to add perimeter defense. Robert Covington would make some sense, as he is a stout team defender and the same age as Lillard. However, Covington is locked in to a four-year deal and Portland may be wary of adding another long-term commitment. Dario Saric is another piece that would make sense, since he is still on his rookie contract for two more years, and he could also start for Portland right away.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer gave five trade scenarios for McCollum, so I’ll try to put together a sensible offer for the Sixers.
Portland receives: Dario Saric, Furkan Korkmaz, 2018 Philadelphia 1st Round Pick
Philadelphia receives: C.J. McCollum
Dario Saric has become a fan favorite and a legitimate leader for Philadelphia. Would it be worth it to part ways with a 24-year-old who has already significantly improved his game and become an important piece of Philly’s identity?
Dario’s shooting improvements have made him a solid fit with this team, but the Sixers are still lacking players who can create their own shots. McCollum would be exactly what the Sixers need offensively. He is a dynamic scoring machine who can also move off the ball and function as a catch-and-shoot guard coming off of screens.
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For Portland, Dario would help fill the scoring hole left by McCollum’s departue, and he’d give them some serious cap relief as he only makes a combined $6 million over the next two seasons. Furkan Korkmaz would be an interesting piece who would help space the floor, plus he is on his rookie deal for another three seasons.
With all of the cap space Portland created, they could add another piece in free agency.
Ultimately, this would be a major commitment from Philadelphia. McCollum is due to make $29 million in the 2020-21 season, when Ben Simmons is on his next contract. The Sixers would be locked in to a core of Joel Embiid, Simmons, McCollum, and Markelle Fultz. Some might think that sounds perfect, but the Sixers would lose all of their flexibility to add another star down the road because of McCollum’s contract.
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The Sixers’ cap space this summer is an incredibly rare asset, and giving all of that up for McCollum would be a bold move. As much as I’d like to see McCollum run pick-and-rolls with Joel Embiid, I would only consider this deal if LeBron, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard are off the table.