Cavs: 3 reasons Cleveland should trade for C.J. McCollum

The Cavs are being linked to rumors with Trailblazers guard C.J. McCollum

C.J. McCollum is coming off of an injury-plagued season, that saw his Trailblazers get bounced in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Star player Damian Lillard seems committed to the franchise despite the loss, but that doesn’t mean everyone is going to be treated the same way, and many expect the team to do something drastic.

This could see the Blazers move on from McCollum, as his contract is among the biggest on the roster and his talent is of the most coveted. The Blazers won’t have a hard time finding a trade partner for the 29-year-old, as McCollum has averaged 20 points per game for the last six seasons. He also has three more years left on his deal, which will take the guard until his 32nd birthday, well within the timeframe of a player’s “prime”.

The Cavs are a natural destination choice for the guard, one that Cleveland should make a self-fulfilling prophecy by going after the guard.

Three reasons Cavs should trade for C.J. McCollum

1. He’s a Clevelander.

His being from Cleveland doesn’t affect the game in any way, we know this. What it does affect is giving the fans a reason to support the team. The Cavs aren’t exactly a team with an obvious star or franchise face. While McCollum has always been a number two in Portland, he’s talented enough to be the leading force of a Cavs team that gets to the playoffs. His ties to the community and Browns’ fandom will endure him to the fanbase and may make him a big enough addition to helping out ticket sales.

2. He fits the needs of the team.

While McCollum isn’t Tony Allen on defense, he’s very solid, and in a defense that has Isaac Okoro, Larry Nance Jr., and others, McCollum may actually flourish. He’s also close to attempting 40% of his shots from behind the arc. The Cavs are a bad three-point shooting team, with Collin Sexton only attempting around 24% of his shots from three-point land. In today’s three-point dominating NBA, if you don’t match shot for shot with teams, you’re going to lose in today’s NBA.

3. He’d be the primary scorer.

The Blazers need a lot of help reworking their roster and the best way to do that is to move on from McCollum and hope you get enough back in return. The added upside is that you may get players who compliment Lillard more. On the other side of that coin, McCollum would also be given the opportunity to be a leader on a team and see if he can in fact do for a team what Lillard did. McCollum is an excellent scorer who’s had to adapt his game to his teammates, but what happens if McCollum is given free rein? Could McCollum become a star and elevate a team unexpectedly? Stranger things have happened.