The Portland Trailblazers could consider trading for a star, with the team struggling this season. Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins has emerged as a potential trade target for Portland, but could be at the expense of CJ McCollum.
The Blazers are dwelling at the upper half of the Western Conference standings, but there could be an urgency for the team to make roster changes for Portland to remain in the playoff picture. According to Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated, trading for a star could fix the Blazers' woes, but such move could involve CJ McCollum, who has been one of the team's most reliable scorer.
"If you're going to try and acquire another star, you've got to figure McCollum has to be in the package to do that," Golliver told John Canzano of the Oregonian.
Cousins is one of the most elite big men in the league, with career averages of 20.5 points and 10.8 rebounds a game. The 26-year-old center would give the Blazers a scoring threat inside the paint, and a key cog on the defensive end, instantly turning Portland into a legit title contender.
McCollum, on the other hand, seems exactly what the Kings need in return. The Kings are struggling to find this past summer backcourt pieces who could fit well in Dave Joerger's schemes. Adding McCollum would give Sacramento a go-to-guy and a piece essential for the Kings' rebuild.
Trading for Cousins would require the Blazers to give up more than just McCollum. ESPN's Marc Stein believes the team's summer additions of Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner and Moe Harkless is a form of "asset collection" for potential blockbuster deals.
"The suspicion among numerous league observers is that the Blazers' non-stop spending this past offseason was asset collection as much as anything," Stein wrote.
It seems unlikely the Blazers would trade McCollum before the deadline. McCollum has played an essential role to the team's success in the past two seasons, and keeping him would certainly still help in any of the team's endeavors this year.
Nonetheless, McCollum is still the team's best trade chip, and including any of the players down the rotation should make an enticing package the Kings could not refuse.
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