CJ McCollum is averaging more than 20 points for the 7th straight season
The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to trade CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
New Orleans receives:
- CJ McCollum
- Larry Nance Jr.
- Tony Snell
Portland receives:
- Josh Hart
- Tomas Satoransky
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Didi Louzada
- 2022 first-round pick (protected)
- Two future second-round picks
ESPN’s Andrew Lopez reports the 2022 first-round pick goes to the Pelicans if it lands between No. 1-4. If it is No. 5-14, it goes to the Blazers and, if it is No. 15-30, it goes to the Charlotte Hornets.
Portland’s decision to trade McCollum comes just four days after it parted with Robert Covington and Norman Powell in a swap with the LA Clippers. In that trade, the Blazers got Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a future second-round pick as well as some salary-cap flexibility in the future.
This season, McCollum is averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 43.6% overall and 38.4% on 3-pointers. He has averaged 20 or more points per game for seven straight seasons and missed 17 games earlier this season with a collapsed lung.
Nance Jr. was acquired by Portland as a part of a three-team offseason trade involving the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Blazers. He is averaging 6.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 2.0 apg as a reserve for the Blazers and is known for his ability to play the passing lanes and get steals. Snell is best known for his 3-point marksmanship but has struggled in that area this season. He’s shooting 32% on 3-pointers after a career-best 56.9% last season with the Atlanta Hawks.
Hart has emerged as a reliable starting guard for New Orleans this season, appearing in 41 games (40 starts) while posting 13.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.1 apg and 1.1 spg while shooting 50.5% overall and 32.3% on 3-pointers. He has two years and $25.8 million left on the three-year deal he signed last offseason.
Alexander-Walker, a guard, has improved each season in the NBA and 2021-22 has been no different. He’s averaging career-highs in several categories (12.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg) but has struggled with his shot (37.5% overall; 31.1% on 3-pointers). Satoransky was traded to New Orleans by Chicago in the offseason and is averaging near career-lows in most statistics (2.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.4 apg) as a reserve.
In trading McCollum to New Orleans, Portland will move his deal and the remaining roughly $69.1 million still left to be paid on it. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans were interested in a high-level veteran guard after they were rebuffed by Kyle Lowry in free agency last summer. Wojnarowski reports the Blazers’ plan now is to reshape the roster around star guard Damian Lillard thanks to creating potentially $60 million in salary cap space for the 2022 offseason.
Portland's plan is to fully reshape roster around Damian Lillard now. Portland created a $21M trade exception today, potentially $60M in salary cap space this summer, multiple draft picks and assets via Pels and Clippers trades. Plan is to pursue high-end talent now, not retreat.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022
New Orleans is No. 10 in the Western Conference standings and 1/2 game ahead of Portland in the Play-In Tournament standings. The Blazers are dealing with the absence of a key player in Lillard, a six-time All-Star who had abdominal surgery in January and is out indefinitely.
The trade of Covington and Powell was the first major move under interim Blazers general manager Joe Cronin. He took over when Neil Olshey was fired in December after a workplace environment investigation. When Lillard played in his last game — on New Year’s Eve, 2021 — he started alongside Nance Jr., Powell, Snell and Nassir Little. Since then, three of those players have been dealt while Little is out for the season following shoulder surgery on Feb. 1.
With the Blazers seemingly heading towards a rebuild while Lillard mends from his injury, the Pelicans may be primed to not only make the Play-In Tournament, but perhaps rise higher in the West as the 2021-22 season wanes.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Reports: Blazers, Pelicans agree to CJ McCollum trade - NBA.com
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