The Portland Trail Blazers traded two key pieces on Friday in Norman Powell and Robert Covington. That could just be the start, though. CJ McCollum has seen his name being involved in trade talks over the last week and there is reportedly a firm belief amongst league executives that Portland will move him either by February 10th or in the offseason.
With the emergence of Simons and the selling off of veterans like Powell and Covington, rival executives around the league believe the Trail Blazers will move CJ McCollum by the trade deadline or this offseason as Portland continues to reshape its roster around franchise star Damian Lillard. Several teams, including the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and others, are expected to have interest in trading for McCollum, who is owed $69.13 million over the next two seasons.
However, it's important to note that Blazers GM Joe Cronin did say recently he has full belief in the team's current core in Damian Lillard, McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic:
“Together, we’ve won a lot of games,” Cronin said. “Nurk is entering his prime. Dame and CJ are in their primes. Those are three high-level players. When we put the right pieces around them, we’ve shown that we can be very competitive.”
Nevertheless, it doesn't mean the Blazers won't make a change in the near future here. Anfernee Simons is emerging as a solid piece of the rotation and if he continues to develop at such a rapid rate, it's totally realistic to think McCollum could be shipped out of town. After all, Portland hasn't been able to reach their championship aspirations. Perhaps, Dame needs a new running mate.
Only time will tell.
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