PORTLAND, OREGON – FEBRUARY 21: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers and Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans shake hands after the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 128-115 during their game at Moda Center on February 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon, Reviewing the CJ McCollum-Josh Hart trade one month later. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
The Portland Trail Blazers surprised the world at the trade deadline this season when they gutted their team. But the shocking part wasn’t that they ditched some of their core players, but the return they got.
Damian Lillard’s co-star, CJ McCollum, was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans along with Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell in exchange for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Didi Louzada, a protected first, and two seconds.
Reviewing the CJ McCollum-Josh Hart trade one month later
Portland then swiftly traded Alexander-Walker and Satoransky for the Utah Jazz for Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes, and a second-round pick. Ingles is set to miss the rest of the season.
The Blazers gave up a fringe All-Star player in exchange for a bunch of pieces that most people deemed as “not enough.” And with Lillard out for the rest of the season, Portland has been struggling mightily.
Jusuf Nurkic is out as well, so the Trail Blazers are just rolling out young lineups and trying to improve/rebuild on the fly. It really makes you think, was the trade actually solid for both sides?
New Orleans got a veteran player who will help them win right now and in the coming years with Zion Williamson, while Portland received a bunch of picks and other assets who could help them reshape the team around Lillard one way or another.
Now that we’re around a month removed from the trade, it’s time to do a quick review. How have the Blazers been doing? What about the Pelicans? Who benefits more in the short-term, and who benefits more in the long-term?
Portland Trail Blazers surprised the world at the trade deadline this season when they gutted their team. But the shocking part wasn’t that they ditched some of their core players, but <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/15/cj-mccollum-josh-hart-trade/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33244215/sources-portland-trail-blazers-sending-cj-mccollum-new-orleans-pelicans-part-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the return they got.</a></p>
<p>Damian Lillard’s co-star, CJ McCollum, was dealt to the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/15/cj-mccollum-josh-hart-trade/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/new-orleans-pelicans/">New Orleans</a> Pelicans along with Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell in exchange for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Didi Louzada, a protected first, and two seconds.</p>
<h2>Reviewing the CJ McCollum-Josh Hart trade one month later</h2>
<p>Portland then swiftly traded Alexander-Walker and Satoransky for the Utah Jazz for Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes, and a second-round pick. Ingles is set to miss the rest of the season.</p>
<p>The Blazers gave up a fringe All-Star player in exchange for a bunch of pieces that most people deemed as “not enough.” And with Lillard out for the rest of the season, Portland has been struggling mightily.</p>
<p>Jusuf Nurkic is out as well, so the Trail Blazers are just rolling out young lineups and trying to improve/rebuild on the fly. It really makes you think, was the trade actually solid for both sides?</p>
<p>New Orleans got a veteran player who will help them win right now and in the coming years with Zion Williamson, while Portland received a bunch of picks and other assets who could help them reshape the team around Lillard one way or another.</p>
<p>Now that we’re around a month removed from the trade, it’s time to do a quick review. How have the Blazers been doing? What about the Pelicans? Who benefits more in the short-term, and who benefits more in the long-term?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/15/cj-mccollum-josh-hart-trade/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> New Orleans Pelicans </a>
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<img class="wp-image-443148 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/15/cj-mccollum-josh-hart-trade/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1385201343.jpeg" alt="CJ McCollum, Josh Hart, Trade" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1385201343.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1385201343-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 04: CJ McCollum #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the Utah Jazz during a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 04, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Reviewing the CJ McCollum-Josh Hart trade one month later: New Orleans Pelicans</h2>
<p>The New Orleans Pelicans fully achieved the goal they had in mind when they made the trade – win more games. CJ McCollum has improved their team tenfold and has shown no signs of slowing down.</p>
<p>Since he joined the Pelicans, McCollum is first on the team in scoring, ranks second in rebounds, and leads the Pelicans in assists. He’s doing a little bit of everything for them.</p>
<p>McCollum is averaging 27.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in New Orleans while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from behind the three-point line.</p>
<p>But more importantly, the team looks better. They don’t quite have a winning record since McCollum joined the squad, but they’ve inched their way into the 10th spot in the West.</p>
<p>This means that they’ll be competing in the play-in tournament if the standings hold, which is very clearly what they had in mind when they traded for McCollum.</p>
<p>It’s very easy to see how much McCollum has impacted the Pelicans. His veteran presence will be crucial to the young team’s success moving forward, and it was well worth the assets they gave up.</p>
<p>They’re set up nicely to win now, and both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram will have a great mentor to help lead them into the future.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/15/cj-mccollum-josh-hart-trade/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Portland Trail Blazers </a>
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<img class="wp-image-443149 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/15/cj-mccollum-josh-hart-trade/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1384701548.jpeg" alt="CJ McCollum, Josh Hart, Trade" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1384701548.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1384701548-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 12: Josh Hart #11 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts against the Washington Wizards during the third quarter at Moda Center on March 12, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Reviewing the CJ McCollum-Josh Hart trade one month later: Portland Trail Blazers</h2>
<p>As mentioned, this trade was widely viewed as a robbery for the New Orleans Pelicans. Most fans on Twitter saw this trade go down and thought the Portland Trail Blazers got nothing in return for CJ McCollum.</p>
<p>This went even further when the Blazers traded Nickeil Alexander-Walker away for pennies on the dollar. And in the grand scheme of things, Alexander-Walker could have gotten some real opportunities in Portland.</p>
<p>However, while the Blazers did end up giving away one of their franchise stars, they actually got a better return than most anticipated, and it could work out well for them in the end.</p>
<p>First and foremost, Josh Hart deserves all the credit in the world. His 44-point performance was great on his own, but the sheer hustle and heart he plays with on a nightly basis will spread throughout the Blazers roster.</p>
<p>This isn’t to say that McCollum doesn’t play with heart, but Hart’s game is (no pun intended) built on heart. He never gives up on a play, is always looking to make the right decision, and is a great perimeter defender.</p>
<p>Plus, this trade opened up minutes for a bunch of young players who are thriving – Trendon Watford, Brandon Williams, CJ Elleby, etc. And it even frees up a bunch of cap space this summer, which was another huge goal of their moves.</p>
<p>So while this deal definitely hurts them in the short-term, this set them up perfectly for a long-term rebuild. But as far as building a great team around Damian Lillard, it probably wasn’t ideal.</p>
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