The Portland Trail Blazers are in serious talks to send SG CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Trail Blazers have already dealt Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade prior to the NBA Trade Deadline, which is Thursday, Feb. 10. The Trail Blazers remain without superstar PG Damian Lillard, who may be shut down for the rest of the 2021-22 season.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the package for McCollum will include G Josh Hart and draft compensation. The deal is also being finalized. So we’ll see what draft assets are heading the other way. Hart isn’t a bad get for the Trail Blazers, but he’s also 26 and has had plenty of time to break out.
Along with Hart, the Blazers are acquiring G Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G Tomas Satoransky and Didi Louzada, as well as three future draft picks. Here are the full details of the trade, per Woj.
Full trade, per sources:
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022
Blazers: Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, 2022 protected first-round pick, two second-round picks.
Pelicans: CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, Tony Snell.
McCollum, who did not make the All-Star team this season, is 30 years old and has two more years left on his current contract, which runs through 2023-24. So if the deal is met, the Pelicans are likely sending back a decent amount of assets in return. Assuming Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram aren’t traded in the deal, McCollum forms a very young and talented Big 3 in NOLA with those two. The deal also could help ease tensions with Williamson, who likely isn’t going to play this season, though that hasn’t been confirmed.