The Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers were each eliminated in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs for the second consecutive season. Both the Mavs and Portland are now asking themselves how they can best surround their star players this offseason (Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard).
Here's a thought: how about the two teams make a blockbuster trade, sending CJ McCollum to Dallas and Kristaps Porzingis to the Blazers?
Why the Dallas Mavs pull the trigger
Porzingis is a great player and talent, but he has been essentially relegated to a jump shooter and an occasional slasher; that role doesn't justify a $30-plus million salary. One could argue that McCollum is perfect for the Mavericks.
Did the Mavericks rely on their shooting ability to extremes or at least a little too much this season? Yes, and McCollum is coming off a season where he averaged a career-high 8.9 three-point attempts per game. At the same time, McCollum isn't just a high-volume shooter: he's a highly impactful scorer.
He gets to the rim off the dribble, is an efficient shooter and has averaged 20-plus points per game in each of the last six seasons. At 29, McCollum is in the prime of his career and would be a superb complement to Doncic. The former would serve as the number two source of offense and a viable isolation option for head coach Rick Carlisle.
All too often, the Mavs were forced to ask Doncic to play hero or whoever had the ball in their hands to throw up a three before the shot clock expired. With McCollum, the Mavericks get a player who can make shots from distance and also take their offense to the next level with his scoring ability.
Dallas has players who can start at power forward and center like Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber to fill the void Porzingis' departure would create. The Mavericks will also have around $20 million in cap space this offseason, which could be used to beef up their inside play and/or re-sign Tim Hardaway Jr.
Why the Portland Trail Blazers pull the trigger
Lillard and McCollum are one of the NBA's premier one-two scoring punches, but they've never won a Western Conference finals game in their six seasons starting together. With Terry Stotts gone, the Trail Blazers could continue retooling by moving on from McCollum and embracing Porzingis' talent.
Yes, we just examined Porzingis' puzzling fit in Dallas, but the big man's elite talent is evident. He can put the ball on the floor, is a proven outside shooter, emphatically finishes in the paint and denies shots at a high level. A team can win with Porzingis as its number two scoring option. Maybe the Blazers can get his career back on track?
Once upon a time, a raw Damian Lillard shared the spotlight for the Blazers with All-Star big man LaMarcus Aldridge. Porzingis presents a similar situation but differs in that he's more athletic with the ball in his hands than Aldridge was. Portland has one of, if not the game's best deep-ball shooter in Lillard. Operating in the halfcourt, Porzingis could get back to getting more touches in the paint/post. Porzingis would also have Lillard attracting attention, potentially opening up the big man for more clean looks from distance.
The Trail Blazers could focus on adding more defensive-minded wings and pure shooters to put around their new star duo. For what it's worth, they stayed afloat in the West this season with McCollum sidelined for two months.
With familiar faces leaving the building, the time is now for the Trail Blazers to take a chance on the trade market.
Mavs and Trail Blazers have nothing to lose, everything to gain
Yes, it's never ideal to trade within the conference, especially with a team that one is vying with for playoff contention. That said, what do these two teams have to lose? The Trail Blazers have continually run into a wall in the playoffs, and the Mavericks have to begin winning playoff series with Doncic.
Are the Trail Blazers ever going to win the West, let alone the NBA Finals with Lillard and McCollum leading the way? With his impact and production decreasing with every passing game, will Porzingis ever play up to the max contract the Mavericks signed up for?
At this point, McCollum and Porzingis will never have more trade value with their respective teams than they do in the present. Perhaps the Mavericks have to throw an extra player or a pair of second-round draft picks in the mix to balance out the value with the Blazers. Even if they have to do as such, it's worth the price of admission, as McCollum and Porzingis have near-identical contracts (McCollum is due roughly $99 million over the next three seasons, and Porzingis is due roughly $102 million over the next three seasons).
The Trail Blazers' model isn't working. Porzingis gives them offensive variety. As for Dallas, they're trying to be a shooting-heavy team while paying a player a contract he can't perform into; McCollum is perfect for their offense.
Opportunity is scarce in sports. NBA contenders have short lifespans. The Trail Blazers are on life support, and the Mavericks made minimal, tangible progress this season. This trade is a win-win and one that enhances both teams' chances of going on a deep playoff run.
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