Could the Boston Celtics have a trade in mind for Portland Trail Blazers veteran guard C.J. McCollum? Perhaps not, but there’s interest in the Blazers guard in Boston according to The Athletic’s Jason Quick.
On the surface, after dealing away their starting point guard Kemba Walker, such a move would make sense if the Celtics could assemble an offer that interests the Trail Blazers’ front office. But that’s where the easy part stops and the brass tacks begin, and it is not clear that Boston has the right assets, that Portland would be disposed to such a move, and that the team won’t want to try out veteran guard Marcus Smart at the point for a while as well.
However, given Smart is eligible for an extension, if he elects to try the open market, he may well find himself moved simply out of concern for asset protection on a team that has seen significant talent drain in such a way over the last several seasons.
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Should they elect to move on, Quick can see some benefits to both sides for a deal between the two clubs.
“I’ve … heard Boston could be interested in a player like McCollum, and I’ve always thought Marcus Smart and his defense would be a great pairing in Portland (obviously it would take more to make salaries match, but Smart would be a great start).”
It would likely require one of Boston’s young wings and draft assets as well, though perhaps not so many if an amicable sign-and-trade option were amenable to all parties — and hard-capping the Blazers roster a realistic option.
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Such a move even absent a sign-and-trade is of course by nature unlikely given the paucity of major deals in the course of the NBA calendar save for an occasional flurry at the trade deadline and on draft night.
But there is a logic here worth exploring if Smart makes it clear his future in Boston is not necessarily a given.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
