NBA Rumors: CJ McCollum Could Serve As ‘Third Wheel’ To Kevin Durant And Kyrie Irving In Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Nets are expected to aggressively pursue a legitimate superstar on the trade market this offseason. Though they are yet to see their roster at full strength, they think that they need more star power around Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in order to have a better chance of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and winning the NBA championship title next season. One of the dream trade targets for the Nets this fall is All-Star shooting guard CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers.
In a recent article, Mandela Namaste of Bleacher Report created a list of one player every team needs to target this offseason. For the Nets, it’s McCollum. With his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, Namaste believes that McCollum could perfectly serve as the “third wheel” to ball-dominant superstars like Durant and Irving in Brooklyn.
“McCollum would be a seamless fit on virtually any team, and Brooklyn would be no different. Playing with Damian Lillard, he’s thrived off the ball, so being the third wheel to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving wouldn’t be much of a stretch. On the occasions those two superstars rest due to injury maintenance, the Nets would still be in safe hands as McCollum has recently shown the ability to carry an offense on his shoulders.”
McCollum would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Nets. He would give them a very reliable third scoring option, playmaker, and an elite three-point shooter. Last season, he averaged 22.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
McCollum’s arrival would make the Nets a more dangerous team on the offensive end of the floor and enable them to create their own “Big Three” in the 2020-21 NBA season. If the trio of McCollum, KD, and Uncle Drew enters the season in perfect shape and manage to stay away from any major injury, Brooklyn would undoubtedly become the new favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2021 Finals.
As of now, the Trail Blazers haven’t shown any indication that they are planning to move McCollum in the 2020 offseason. However, if they finally decide to break their explosive backcourt duo, the Nets are one of the few teams that could make them an intriguing proposal. In the potential deal that would send the All-Star shooting guard to Brooklyn, Namaste suggested that the Nets could offer a package that includes Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, and a future first-round pick to the Trail Blazers.
