mollyfamwatThe Portland Trail Blazers were on the verge of completing a blockbuster trade with the Indiana Pacers. The trade would bring star player Paul George to Portland in exchange for Indiana’s prized young player, CJ McCollum. This would have been a huge win for the Blazers, who had just lost Jusuf Nurkic in free agency. …
The Portland Trail Blazers are in a spot where they have just $10 million to sign their 2019 NBA Draft picks.
Superstar trades are common in the NBA. Teams often take steps to win in the present by pairing their star(s) with another star via a trade. We’ve seen this before in the 2020-21 season, when the Brooklyn Nets added James Harden to a team that already included Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The Brooklyn Nets are now considered the favorites to win the championship. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently outlined a trade scenario between the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. This move involves two stars, Paul George and C.J. McCollum, and it will certainly be important for both teams. Los Angeles Clippers get: C.J. McCollum, Yusuf Nurkic, Robert Covington and the 2023 first-round pick (top-5 defense). Portland Trail Blazers get: Paul George, Ivica Zubac and Luke Kennard This deal may seem crazy for a number of reasons, but it also mentions that there are three conditions for this deal to go through. Here’s what Buckley had to say about how this scenario might play out. There’s a lot to unpack here, starting with a few caveats: this will only happen if… This only happens if… 1) The Clippers and Blazers fly out in the first round, leading to major changes in teams. 2) Kawhi Leonard stays in Free Agency (after presumably letting his option go) and gives LA his blessing to trade his teammate. 3) Damian Lillard has put his old rivalry with Paul George behind him and agreed to a trade for his old backcourt partner, C.J. McCollum. These are all great assumptions, but if all points are met, both franchises could be trying to win a championship. With help from McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic, the Clippers will try to improve their shooting and play Leonard around collectively. While none of them compare to George, together they could help Leonard offensively and help move the ball. Los Angeles will not be able to count on George on defense, but they will be able to block opponents with the help of Leonard, Robert Covington and Marcus Morris Sr. and they have Nurkic as insurance in the back line. Los Angeles also gets a first round pick for the best player in the deal. The Blazers would explain their deadly weak defense, which is ranked 29th. Their year-long search for two-way wingers could be over in the blink of an eye with the arrival of George and the possible return of Norman Powell to Free Agency (after a presumed opt-out). With Zubac and another great player (possibly Enes Kanter or Zach Collins), Portland doesn’t lose much in the way of inside game and gets a perimeter scorer in Luke Kennard. The Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers currently lead the series 2-2. Both can still win this series. Even if one of them gets through the first round, the first condition will not be met. Zach Buckley points out that it will take big if’s to make that happen, and he’s absolutely right. However, they have not been ruled out yet, and both teams would have something to gain from such a scenario. It would be too bad if this deal doesn’t go through in the offseason, as it will have a huge impact on the face of the Western Conference contenders next season.
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