NBA Trade Rumors: McCollum for Horford Deal Hardly Makes Sense

KEY POINTS

CJ McCollum is unlikely to be traded by the Portland Trail Blazers
Al Horford coming to Portland would be a big price to pay
Blazers likely to explore trades that will not include CJ McCollum or Damian Lillard

The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching with eyes on key players. One new face in the mix is CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers, a trade scenario that hardly makes sense.

Word of a potential McCollum trade reportedly points back to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN's NBA Insider. He was discussing a potential scenario where teams such as the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Philadelphia 76ers would be interested in the 28-year-old guard. That alleged tweet has since been deleted, NBC Sports reported.

Of the suggested teams, one name was mentioned as a potential part of a swap. An Al Horford for McCollum swap was mentioned although there are issues behind the NBA trade. For one, the 2016 NBA Most Improved Player signed a contract extension last July 2019. This means that he will not be eligible to be traded until Jan. 30, Dwight James of TrailBlazersInsider for NBC pointed out.

As for Horford, the Blazers would have to absorb his ridiculous contract in the process. The 33-year-old veteran signed a four-year deal with the Sixers this 2019-20 season worth $109 million - big money for someone whose playing years are numbered.

Lastly, Portland has repeatedly said that they have no intention of breaking up the Damian Lillard-McCollum tandem. The duo is responsible for the success of the Blazers the past years and what Portland needs right now are reliable big men.

The name of Kevin Love has been linked to the Blazers as of late. With the Cleveland Cavaliers believed to be inclined to ship the 31-year-old All-Star, a homecoming to Portland is seen by many as a logical move. Much of this was covered in a previous post.

The Blazers could benefit from someone like Love. However, there is the $120 million deal that stands in the way. Aware that they need a reliable big man to make a deep run in the NBA playoffs, guys like Hassan Whiteside and Kent Bazemore could be possible players included in the deal.

As of this writing, the Blazers are 14-21 and seemingly underperforming compared to the last NBA season. Knowing that they are in a tough Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers looming as favorites, getting the former NBA champion to the fold could help but cost the franchise big money.