Why a CJ McCollum trade is the right move for the Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans reportedly have interest in trading for CJ McCollum.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report wrote about the possibility, which makes sense for both teams.

The Pelicans desperately need shooting and the Trail Blazers would like to shed some payroll and McCollum seems like the logical choice given the rise of Anfernee Simons.

McCollum is a reliable veteran scorer who would give the Pels a third option behind Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram when/if the two are ever healthy at the same time.

But he does come with a hefty price tag both in terms of trade assets and salary and given McCollum’s age, there are also questions about the “timeline” New Orleans has talked about in the past.

If CJ McCollum is a fit, why not just keep Jrue Holiday?

Some fans have asked this question and I think it is a fair one, as Jrue Holiday could be playing the role the Pelicans envision for McCollum, and he was a fan-favorite who was already on the team.

I think it’s fair to ask but there are some differences between the two.

The first is that Holiday asked for a trade. It was him, not the team who was worried about timeline and Holiday wanted to play on a contender while he was still in his prime.

The Pelicans did their best to accommodate him, and Holiday got his ring. He also got a fat extension that runs a year longer than McCollum’s at about the same rate. Holiday is also older than McCollum, so this really isn’t the same situation.

The Pelicans would be getting two more seasons of McCollum at a guaranteed rate and don’t have to worry about his next contract. Holiday wanted out and may not have re-signed with the Pelicans anyway, so I get the question but the situations are not the same.