It's way past Christmas but James Harden isn't done with his holiday shopping. The Houston Rockets superstar is making a list (and checking it twice) of possible destinations, given that his time in H-Town is all but done. One of the more recent additions to the former MVP's list is the Portland Trail Blazers and possibly forming an insane backcourt duo with Damian Lillard.
Given that the NBA is a business, all signs point to the Blazers letting go of Lillard's current backcourt partner in CJ McCollum for the deal to even be at all feasible. McCollum himself is even aware of this. However, per Portland's president of basketball operations Neil Olshey, McCollum has been and will continue to be unavailable for any deal.
Jason Quick of The Athletic reports that Olshey has been adamant about sticking with Lillard and McCollum as the Blazers' starting backcourt.
“Years ago, when asked about breaking up the backcourt, Olshey broke from his strict policy of not addressing player contracts or status. He countered with his own question: Why would he break up one of the best backcourts in the NBA?”
Lillard and McCollum have formed one of the best 1-2 combos in the West for several years now. Though they've been rather unsuccessful when it comes to the postseason, it's quite unthinkable to see these two play for different teams. They've developed certain chemistry on and off the court and seem to be set to play out their individual careers in Portland.
At this point, no one really knows where Harden is going to be within the next few months. But if Olshey's stand with regards to keeping Dame and CJ in Portland remains solid, it does seem that the Blazers are taking themselves out of Harden's list.
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