Former Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey has long resisted Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum’s backcourt breakup, but Olshey is out and interim general manager Joe Cronin is now in charge. With the Blazers’ season pretty much in the tank, it looks like McCollum could finally be on his way out if a reasonable offer comes along.
From NBA insider Marc Stein’s latest newsletter:
When it was recently announced that Lillard of Portland was headed for abdominal surgery, I remember a rival executive asking me if I was ready for the “Anfernee Simons audition”. I really hadn’t given it much thought, but Simons certainly was. The future restricted free agent is averaging 24.2 points and had 4.6 3-pointers per game in January to spark some of the loudest speculation yet in the Pacific Northwest that the Trail Blazers are finally willing to break up the Lillard/CJ McCollum partnership that former team president Neil Olshey has held sacred for so long to make way for an uplifted Simons.
Indeed, Simons was on a tear. He started the month with 43 points on nine 3-pointers against the Hawks. Simons showed flashes of All-Star potential, but former coach Terry Stotts did not fully trust him and his playing time, and by extension his performance, was never consistent.
With Lillard and McCollum both missing a lot of time this season, Simons had his chance under new coach Chauncey Billups, and he took full advantage of it. If the Blazers believe this type of production is real from Simons rather than a small-sample deception, the idea that Simons could reasonably step in as the No. 2 scorer next to Lillard makes McCollum more consumable.
That said, McCollum’s trade probably shouldn’t hinge on Simons’ ability to replace his production. If the Blazers weren’t a real competitor with Lillard and McCollum, they won’t be with Simons and Lillard.
The goal is to use every asset you have to bring back as much value as possible, and right now McCollum, unless you trade Simons, is the best asset the Blazers have. Keeping the core of this team intact no longer makes sense. We’ll see if Portland secures a valid offer for Fort McCollum before the Feb. 10 deadline.
