Zombie What is the Best Offer We Could Get for C.J. McCollum?

Call me crazy (I am asking for it after all) but I can agree with the last sentence and still disagree with the others.

 

Which I have no problem with! Honestly.

I would love to have Middleton as well. The one thing I would say is CJ would be all-star in the east before him. Not saying that makes him better (although that is supposed to be what it is in theory but many players get passed over who shouldn't - like Dame for example).

CJ would flourish out east. And we could use the D Middleton provides.

It is really hard to find the proper value for CJ though that we need to make a deal. Obviously a SF is ideal but there aren't great ones out there. I am afraid we are going to hold on to CJ longer then we should (and I actually wasn't ready to deal him until this year. Napier has opened my eyes, the little guy even plays D) and not because we won't deal him, we just won't get the value we need to. Hope I am wrong on that. He is poison-pill until this summer anyways isn't he? So summer is our first realistic chance.

 

I pretty much agree with this sentiment which is why I think it would be worth exploring. I think CJ is probably the more talented player but Middleton brings more to a team.

For whatever reason, CJ is talked about in a level above Middleton but I’m not sure I see it that way. If you could get a GM to bite with that notion in mind we could come out winners.

Maybe a deal like: CJ, Swanigan, 2nd rd pick for Middleton, Jabari, and a 1st. If I’m the Bucks I wouldn’t do it but that’s knowing, in depth, what CJ brings to the table and the ceiling Swanigan has on our roster. Milwaukee and Detroit are interesting trade partners to me.

 

I still think the best Place for CJ is 76ers or Cavs. And they have the better Assets for us than Bucks. And btw i would Never trade CJ straight up for Middleton, CJ is better than him, we just need a shooter at the 3 who takes the pressure from him and Dame

 

Middleton is not better than CJ and his D is overrated.

 

Was Alvin Robertson a good defender?

(I'm getting old, but I'm not THAT old.)

 

I remember vaguely who he is. I had his basketball card and such. I just never really watched him play.

 

People who are obsessing over trading CJ are, IMHO, missing the point. The Blazers’ starters beat the opposition starters most nights, including last night against the Cavs. It’s the bench that’s the problem. Game after game they struggle to get 25 or so points. The Cavs bring guys like Wade, Green, and Korver (and last night IT) off their bench and just destroy the Blazers. Stotts has a mixed bag of relatively inexperienced younger players whose roles change from night to night.

Some of the lack of scoring is undoubtedly due to the fact that Stotts plays his starters long minutes, but given what his bench looks like, can you blame him? I’m of the opinion that Olshey’s first order of business is some moves to trade a couple of the younger guys for veterans to solidify the bench and get the starters more rest. Once that’s done, he can assess what changes may be needed to the starting unit.

 

Thank you. Great post.

 

Which is why...... I didn't want to trade Crabbe for literally nothing. Although he's pretty much playing like ass and I'm glad we don't have his contract anymore, but he was a weapon off the bench and I was hoping we could at least get SOMETHING for him.

 

Too bad we can't trade CJ to Boston for Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum in a package deal.

 

You say this but have no knowledge of his market. The only team that we know wanted Crabbe was BRK.

 

This team is much further off than just needing to make some changes to the bench players. While I agree that needs to happen, after the fact there will still need to be more changes made. The issue in my mind is the nucleus doesn’t have the ceiling or potential to be anything other than a 5-8 seed in most years.

Making changes with the role players and bolstering the bench would certainly help but you would still just be ignoring the inevitable. Which is with our current core piece(s), and our window of winning, we will never be true contenders unless we shake things up. Not in today’s super team NBA. If we just want to be good and once and a while make some noise in the playoffs, sure I could see this starting 5 with some help doing that every 3 yrs. But we should want more than that. CJ is the only trade piece we have that could potentially bring the level of change we need to be competitive. Even then we would probably still need more help.

 

Yeah

The whole thing really sucks.

 

I know that people want a quick fix to bring the Blazers into contention, but the notion that trading CJ is going to get the job done is misguided, IMO. First, nothing that Olshey can do is going to make the Warriors, Cavs, Celtics, or Rockets worse. Those teams have the inside track for the next 2-3 seasons. I don't think that there's any trade available for CJ or any other Blazer player that's going to change that fact. It's going to be an incremental process. Solidifying the bench is just a first step that could, perhaps, get the Blazers into the 4th or 5th seed and avoid the inevitable quick first round exit that a 7 or 8 seed will get them. From there, Olshey is going to have to look hard at which of his young guys have the potential to become a true impact player. Nurkic certainly has room to get better. Hopefully, Collins does too. I like Vonleh, but has he hit his ceiling? I don't think anyone is holding their breath for Harkless to become consistent. Swanigan looks to be a project and may not be more than a role player.

Ultimately, Olshey will have to make a move that will involve trading a valuable asset. CJ looks like the most likely candidate right now, but that could change and there's certainly no rush to make that move given that the best scenario for this team is probably a 6th seed in this year's playoffs. Given his recent play, I think the Blazers would be selling low if they trade him right now. There could be other moves that would allow the Blazers to keep their "sort of Big Three" and simply add another player through a combination trade of some of their younger talent. This isn't going to be quick, and ultimately it may not work out at all, but I favor an incremental improvement plan over some idea of a home run trade this season or the dreaded liquidation sale and total rebuild.