CJ McCollum to the Pelicans

[DefenseWinsChamps]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

What does that say?

[Celtics2021]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

What does that say?

The Blazers plan to be idiots and trade their newly acquired picks to build around Lillard.

But I’ll play along:  Smart for Anfernee Simons and the New Orleans first.

[Roy H.]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

Lillard is a popular player.  I can see free agents wanting to join him in Portland.  Unfortunately, there don't seem to be a lot of good free agents available.  I guess if they get Brad Beal?

[Jiri Welsch]

Hopefully this opens the trade floodgates.

[RJ87]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

Lillard is a popular player.  I can see free agents wanting to join him in Portland.  Unfortunately, there don't seem to be a lot of good free agents available.  I guess if they get Brad Beal?

Only other big name is Harden, and I don't see him wanting to live in Portland. Adding Beal doesn't impress me much. That just be them recreating the all-offense/no-defense backcourt they just blew up.

There are no obvious trade targets - Philly wants a high end player for Simmons, not a pick based package. Maybe they're angling for Jokic in 2023. But is Lilliard willing to throw away another year of the end of his prime? Idk. My gut says Dame is gone this offseason.

[Moranis]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

Lillard is a popular player.  I can see free agents wanting to join him in Portland.  Unfortunately, there don't seem to be a lot of good free agents available.  I guess if they get Brad Beal?

Simmons and/or Harris might very well be available this summer.  I could totally see the Sixers putting it to the Nets for not trading them Harden now and basically trading Simmons somewhere for draft picks and then turning around and attaching a draft pick to Harris to move off him and create enough cap room to sign Harden outright and give the Nets nothing.  Morey has done that sort of thing before when he acquired Chris Paul from the Clippers and I could see it again.  The Blazers would now be in a position to absorb either contract and get a solid 2nd player around Lillard for nothing in the case of Harris or draft picks in the case of Simmons. 

[BMark]

I actually like this trade for both teams.  Portland already has the McCollum replacement in Simons who needs paid.  I love Hart.  He reminds me of a taller Smart.  He's also a better distributor then smart and just as streaky of a shooter.  He's a better scorer then smart but not as good of a defender (not many are).  He's still a good defender though.  NAW is a young scorer.  I like what Portland is doing.  I think they are actually better then then were with McCollum. 

As for the Pelicans.  Good big 4 when Zion returns. They will be a fun team to watch.

And Herb Jones-Looks like a good complimentary player for the Pels.  Pels had to make this move to show Zion Pels are serious about contending.

[PhoSita]

so where does Dame end up?

[liam]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

In a weak free agent class in a small market. Good thinking.

[PhoSita]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

In a weak free agent class in a small market. Good thinking.

posturing plain and simple

[Moranis]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

In a weak free agent class in a small market. Good thinking.

posturing plain and simple

that has been talked about on the radio for well over a week.  That they were intending to keep Lillard and were going to clear the cap to keep him.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

In a weak free agent class in a small market. Good thinking.

posturing plain and simple

that has been talked about on the radio for well over a week.  That they were intending to keep Lillard and were going to clear the cap to keep him.

Maybe that's their plan, but in that case their plan doesn't look very smart.

[PhoSita]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

In a weak free agent class in a small market. Good thinking.

posturing plain and simple

that has been talked about on the radio for well over a week.  That they were intending to keep Lillard and were going to clear the cap to keep him.

the only way that's their plan is if they're just profoundly stupid.

which is certainly possible.

but even if it is their plan, that plan will quickly fall apart and Dame will be pushing to get traded.

[LilRip]

Dame would be a player I’d be interested in. He’d look good on the C’s. Of course this assumes he’s gonna be healthy. Also his salary is extremely difficult to match.

[todd_days_41]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491086586351882241?s=20&t=UDdSgjIAhgO1HbRPnAjzDA

Good luck with that plan lol

In a weak free agent class in a small market. Good thinking.

posturing plain and simple

I'm not sure why that's "plain and simple" posturing....

• Rumor mill has been pretty consistent for some time that POR does NOT intend to move Lillard
• Their team stinks -- a backcourt of Lillard and McCollum has been in question for some time, has been regressing, and is going nowhere
• Simons looks like a keeper in McCollum's place
• Josh Hart is still young, as are Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada. A flier on NAW is a reasonable risk / reward as a secondary trade piece
• Blazers were also able to clear Powell's money in an effort to create the flexibility described

Isn't this how teams rebuild on the fly? Get out in front of dealing soon declining guys by clearing cap room and acquiring assets in the process? Wouldn't it be "profoundly stupid' to keep McCollum and hope they magically stop heading down the lottery?

As for the small market bit, Woj specifically calls out the trade exception. And you don't have to sign players outright as UFAs to use your cap space.