SUPERSONICS ACQUIRE C.J. McCOLLUM IN SIX PLAYER TRADE
C.J. McCollum heads to Seattle, Lou Williams to PortlandThere was a lot of chatter about a certain mid-tier Western Conference team trading their star shooting guard in the days leading up to the NBA season. But the Trail Blazers' decision to deal C.J. McCollum comes out of left field.
In a six player trade, the Blazers dealt McCollum, forward Jake Layman and guard Wade Baldwin to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for guards Lou Williams and Avery Bradley, as well as big man Montrezl Harrell and two future second round draft picks.
After a ten year absence, the Seattle SuperSonics finally return to the NBA, and will do so with a marquee player on hand. Like Tobias Harris, the team's other star, McCollum has yet to make an all-star team. However, many attribute that to him being overshadowed by his similar backcourt partner Damian Lillard, and playing in the talent-rich Western Conference. C.J. gives the Sonics a clear first option offensively, and a draw to fill up the newly renovated Key Arena.
On the flip side, Williams, Bradley and Harrell were all rotation players, and this move could hurt the team's defense and depth. Third year players Jake Layman and Wade Baldwin were throw-ins, and are unlikely to do much more than warm the bench. This trade is also a bit risky moving forward, as it leaves the team with no second round draft picks until 2022, and McCollum is owed $83 million over the next three seasons. The middle is a bad place to be in this league, and unless they strike gold in free agency or one of their recent lottery picks, that's where the Sonics will be for the foreseeable future.
For Portland, this is a surprising move. The team has made relatively few changes over the past couple years, and McCollum is a very popular player with the Blazers faithful. Many questioned the team's direction following their recent playoff debacle, and this deal does address it. Though it's hard to get excited about a trade where the other team receives the best player, there are some real positives here. Lillard and McCollum were an electrifying backcourt duo at times, but their overlapping skillsets and subpar defense held them back. With the team's chances of adding or developing a third star player being astronomical, it was time for them to move on.
The Blazers might not miss a beat this season, given who they got back in the deal. Reigning sixth man of the year Lou Williams is coming off a career season that nearly landed him an all-star selection. Avery Bradley is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, but is a major upgrade defensively and has incentive to play well in a contract year. Analytics darling Montrezl Harrell is a tremendous replacement for the departed Ed Davis. But this deal is all about flexibility for Portland. Lou Williams is on an extremely team-friendly contract, while Bradley had a sizable expiring contract. The first few weeks of the season may prove pivotal for the Trail Blazers, as they could decide whether the team goes all in with this core, or opts to blow it up.
After a decade-long hiatus, the pacific northwest basketball rivalry is back! And what better way to kick things off than a blockbuster trade between the two teams? They will face off for the first time on November 8th.
Projected Sonics Rotation:
P. Beverley / C. McCollum / D. Gallinari / T. Harris / M. Gortat (M. Scott, L. Mbah a Moute, M. Teodosic, B. Marjanovic, S. Gilgeous-Alexander, J. Robinson)
Projected Blazers Rotation:
D. Lillard / A. Bradley / M. Harkless / A. Aminu / J. Nurkic (L. Williams, E. Turner, M. Harrell, S. Curry, N. Stauskas)
C.J. McCollum on the trade: "It's what, a three hour drive? Should be a pretty easy move. I mean, I'm obviously hiring people to handle that for me, but you know what I mean. Go Sonics!"
Lou Williams on the trade: "Well, I took a discount to stay in LA, and then they moved to Seattle and I was like 'okay, Seattle is a pretty cool place too'. Then they traded me to Portland, and I was like 'okay, at least I'll get to play with C.J. McCollum, he's good'. Then they told me that's who I was traded for, and I was like 'okay'.
Who won the trade?Seattle [ ] | Portland [ ]