The Portland Trail Blazers have been very involved in the news lately, first for the firing of general manager Neil Olshey, and then for trade rumors involving stars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, among others. A recent report in The Athletic reveals a trade offer from 2020, turned down by Olshey, involving Blazers guard CJ McCollum and then-Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday.
It sure felt like CJ McCollum was saying goodbye on Monday night.
“It’s not a goodbye. I’m still here,” he said.
His head? That’s trickier to pinpoint. A look at what’s going on between the ears of the Trail Blazers guard during these tumultuous times: https://t.co/jSLFLsy6Js
— Jason Quick (@jwquick) December 7, 2021
That is a very interesting trade. Olshey was reportedly offered Holiday for McCollum and three first-round picks, a trade that was turned down in the summer of 2020.
McCollum, who has averaged over 20 points per game in each of the last seven seasons, has been one of the NBA's better scorers as a member of the Blazers, though he has never approached the level of defense played by Holiday, who is routinely among the league leaders in steals per game and a three-time All-Defensive member.
While a bit one-sided, it's fair to wonder whether the Blazers would be better suited with a playmaking, defensive stud like Holiday alongside Damian Lillard, rather than the offensive-minded McCollum.
Especially in contests against teams like the Golden State Warriors, the Blazers could have used an elite defender like Holiday, who helped the Milwaukee Bucks to a title last season, to guard Stephen Curry. Perhaps that could have pushed them forward for a title, though three first-round picks are an awful lot of draft capital to part ways with.
Olshey is no longer in Portland, and no one will ever know the true ramifications of this trade between CJ McCollum and Jrue Holiday had it gone down differently. However, it sure is fun to imagine.
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