NBA Trade Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers a potential destination for CJ McCollum if the Portland Trail Blazers decide to move him

Following Terry Stotts' departure, NBA trade rumors now suggest that CJ McCollum could be traded in the upcoming off-season. McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers ended their 2020-21 NBA season on a rather disappointing note, going down to an undermanned Denver Nuggets side in six games in the playoffs.

NBA Trade Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers favorites to land CJ McCollum if the Portland Trail Blazers move him in the summer

Denver Nuggets v Portland Trail Blazers - Game Six

According to Jabari Young of CNBC, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a likely destination for Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum if he ends up getting traded. NBA trade rumors indicate that the Portland Trail Blazers are expected to have a busy off-season, as the front office will try to surround Damian Lillard with talent following an embarrassing playoffs exit this year.

From the business view, #Blazers face mounting concerns after Stotts’ exit ... but the signs suggest they’re not about to trade Lillard. He’s too hard to replace, and if he bounces, the business would crumble. #NBA #SportsBiz https://t.co/vn0pRA9Thh

— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) June 5, 2021

CJ McCollum himself had a postseason to forget. The Canton Glenoaks product averaged 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, albeit on 43% shooting from the field. McCollum was heavily scrutinized for his performance in a pivotal Game 5 of the series, in which he stepped out of bounds in a crucial moment in overtime.

The Portland Trail Blazers ended up losing that game in overtime, despite a superhuman 55 point effort from Damian Lillard. NBA trade rumors point towards a potential Damian Lillard exit this off-season, and the Portland Trail Blazers management are certainly going to try and do their best to keep their talisman in the franchise.

McCollum steps out of bounds with 9.1 secs left 👀 pic.twitter.com/XisIJhf4Be

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 2, 2021

CJ McCollum is a Cleveland native and would be a brilliant addition to what is a below-par Cleveland Cavaliers roster. McCollum has three years and around $100 million left on his contract. The Cavaliers can certainly afford that, especially if they manage to find suitors for Kevin Love.

CJ McCollum has averaged 23.1 points and 4.7 assists in 47 games this past season. He could be a mentor-like figure to rising star guards Darius Garland and Collin Sexton if the deal goes through. That gives the Cleveland Cavaliers another incentive to pursue the guard if he is made available.

With major changes expected to come to the Portland Trail Blazers, it looks likely that the franchise will break up the Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum back court.