As the NBA trade deadline draws closer, more and more teams are starting to operate, more crazy trades are being made, and after completing the trade with the Clippers, the Blazers' intention to rebuild this season has been very obvious, and now, they have sent the second-in-command of the team, CJ McCollum, away!
According to The Athletic reporter Shams Charania, multiple sources revealed that the Blazers traded guard CJ McCollum to the Pelicans, getting chips such as guard Josh Hart and draft picks. According to ESPN, a number of sources revealed that the deal is expected to be reached as soon as possible in the US time today, and the two sides are still in the final discussion on the details of the transaction.
According to the news, the Pelicans hope to add a veteran and offensive organizer who has already achieved results to help the team achieve its goal of reaching the playoffs, while the Blazers hope to get some of the assets from the McCollum deal and send it to the team that is conducive to his performance. Two very useful pieces of information can be obtained from here, perhaps proving that Lillard is very promising to join the Lakers in the end.
The first is that the Blazers have decided to rebuild, they just want to get some young assets and draft picks now, so high-value draft picks are undoubtedly very attractive to them. Because Hart is not a very valuable player in terms of this deal, which shows that the main thing the Blazers want is the draft pick.
In addition, that is, the Blazers made this deal, in fact, to a certain extent, they still did a good job. The Blazers intend to rebuild, but they also don't want to pit CJ, so they choose to send him to a team that is still quite competitive and has a bright future, in the Pelicans, CJ still has the hope of playing in the playoffs this season, and even in the future, the Pelicans may rise to become a real strong team in the league, CJ can completely partner Zion and Ingram, forming a big three to attack the championship.
Therefore, in the treatment of CJ McCollum, the Blazers are so humane, then the Blazers will naturally not be too ruthless in dealing with the team's star Lillard. Many believe that Lillard's departure has also officially entered the countdown after the Blazers traded McCollum, because for Lillard, who is already 31 years old, he has no time to wait for the team to rebuild, and if he wants to win the championship, leaving Portland is undoubtedly a better choice.
So as long as Lillard opens his mouth, the Blazers will be willing to send him to a team he wants to go to, and even the Blazers may take the initiative to mention this matter to Lillard, which is also the last warmth to the team hero. At present, the Lakers do have a very good chance of getting Lillard, because it is no secret that Lillard wants to go to the Lakers to join forces with James, and if it were not for the Lakers who chose Westbrook, Lillard may have applied for a trade with the Blazers.
And the Lakers obviously can't stand Wei Shao, in such a situation, if there is a chance to get Lillard, they will definitely do whatever it takes, from the chips given by the Pelicans, the Lakers can completely use Wei Shao + Tucker + Munch + 27 years to replace Lillard. Westbrook's expired contract, Munch's cost performance and potential, while the 27-year Lakers' first round has a high probability of high picks, which can basically meet the Blazers' rebuilding needs. At the same time, it is also a gift to Lillard.
As for whether Lillard will really come to the Lakers in the end, there may be an answer soon, after all, there are less than 2 days left before the NBA trading deadline!