It’s only a matter of time before the chips begin to fall in Portland. With the possibility of Lillard forcing his way out of Portland, that would mean an immediate restart and McCollum then becomes expendable in return for younger players and expiring contracts.
Nonetheless, if Portland chooses to keep their core, with newly-signed head coach Chauncey Billups now at the helm, it could be more difficult for the Heat to trade for McCollum unless multiple picks are involved.
However, this doesn’t mean that the Heat shouldn’t at least pick-up the phone. Outside of their second-year guard Tyler Herro, it’s clear that Miami currently lacks valuable trade-assets in comparison to other suitors but for a Blazers team struggling financially to build a winning-team around their backcourt stars, it’s only reasonable to see Portland call it quits this summer after repeatedly failing to come out of the Western Conference.
Whether Portland keeps Lillard (and most of their roster) this summer or not, there isn’t a better time for Miami to explore their options. To pry McCollum though, the best deal Miami could offer along with Herro, is to include the team options of Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala, along with either one or both of Precious Achiuwa or KZ Okpala.
This reduces the pressure of overpaying and retaining another elite sharpshooter in Duncan Robinson, who could be looking to sign between $20-25 million in restricted free agency. It’s going to be a top-priority for the Heat to find another dynamic scorer this summer and one that will give a new direction to their offense — especially during half-court sets.
McCollum easily fits that bill, as he’s an underrated pick-and-roll artist, can draw double-teams, and can become a secondary ball-handler when needed. A player who’s at the absolute peak of his career and has appeared in over fifty postseason games, C.J should rank at or near the top of Miami’s list.