PORTLAND, Ore. — It's the end of an era in Portland as the Trail Blazers on Tuesday sent CJ McCollum to New Orleans along with Tony Snell and Larry Nance Jr. in exchange for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Did Louzada, a protected 2022 first-round pick and two future second-round picks. Hart and Alexander-Walker can be contributors in the future and the draft pick is a nice consolation for losing a longtime centerpiece like McCollum. Did the Blazers get better? How can Hart and NAW help? (starts at 1:06)
This deal on the surface seems underwhelming, and it likely is, but it sets up the Blazers for more drastic moves down the line. So where do the Blazers stand in terms of cap space and future contracts after a couple of deadline moves? Is the beginning of a rebuild or the basis for a serious retooling? The answer remains to be seen but this deadline has left both paths open. (starts at 12:02)
Finally, let's remember what McCollum did in Portland over 8-plus seasons. There was the Game 7 in Denver and an MIP season but also a lot of buckets and a consistency that should be appreciated. The show closes with a moment of appreciation. (starts at 22:03)
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About Locked On Blazers
Mike Richman has covered the Portland Trail Blazers in various capacities since 2014 as a beat writer for The Oregonian, a reporter at NBC Sports Northwest and now in the form of the only daily Trail Blazers podcast, Locked On Blazers. The Pass First Point Guard will get you closer to the team with reports from inside the Moda Center and by unpacking the statistics to know and about your favorite team. You will also find regular guests and can get your questions answered with weekly mailbag shows.
If you would like to participate in the weekly mailbag show, submit your questions to @mikegrich on Twitter or email lockedonblazerspod@gmail.com.
Locked On Blazers is the best way to stay up to date on the latest happenings in the Portland basketball world. It’s available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube with new shows every weekday.
