Re: ~~~The "OFFICIAL" 2014 trade deadline thread~~~
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-to-be-traded-before-february-deadline/page/4
Top 10 players to be moved before the deadline and C.J. McCollum is #6 on the list.
Both this season and in future years, C.J. McCollum could be a tantalizing addition alongside Damian Lillard in the Portland Trail Blazers backcourt. However, they have more pressing needs if they want to win now.
Robin Lopez has stabilized the defense with his rim protection, but Portland suffers on that end when he sits, diminishing the team's ability to capitalize on its greatest asset.
LaMarcus Aldridge's star-making work on the block is powering the Blazers' unlikely rise into the juggernaut ranks. Even so, he's a middling defender at best, and in order to conserve his strength and maximize his output on the other end, Portland hides him by playing him with a more bullish big.
While Mo Williams, Dorell Wright and company have bolstered the perimeter scoring off the bench, the frontcourt corps is still thin. Behind Robin Lopez, Thomas Robinson doesn't have the size to protect the rim, while Joel Freeland and Meyers Leonard just aren't good enough to man the center position.
From 2015 onward, the Blazers have first-rounders to deal, but it would actually make more sense for Portland to part with 2013's 10th overall pick in order to fill that void.
At 6'4", 200 pounds, McCollum would be smallish in the same lineup as Lillard, who has cemented his role as a cornerstone of the franchise with his play this season. With Williams coming off the bench, McCollum is expendable for a team hoping to make a deep postseason run.
