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McCollum, Nance Jr. Share Views On Trade Market

The two latest additions to the New Orleans Pelicans gave their opinions on the current trade market.

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New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans, La.- CJ McCollum sometimes has to wear two hats during media sessions. The minutes leader for the New Orleans Pelicans also serves as the NBPA President. Earlier this season, McCollum commented on Kyrie Irving’s promotion of an anti-Semitic movie. This weekend, the respected 11-year veteran gave his thoughts on the roster moves that the Toronto Raptors could make, and why.

“I think in terms of what they need or what they’re lacking, somethings going to happen. I don’t know what. There are rumblings about certain players on the team not being happy but due to tampering, I can’t speak to that. But I think they’re going to move someone,” McCollum explained on his ESPN show.

Chris Paul

The trade deadline on February 9 is just a few weeks away. The New Orleans Pelicans are in a battle for first place and home-court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs. They are one of just a few teams that are arguably one piece away from an NBA Finals run, much like Toronto in 2019.

Toronto though? Gary Trent Jr., Fred Van Vleet, and OG Anunoby have all been in trade rumors recently. The Raptors are (19-24) currently outside of the playoff picture and all three of those rotational mainstays have expressed frustrations with their roles this season.

There are many reasons why Trent Jr., Van Vleet, and Anunoby are the three most likely to be moved candidates mentioned in most reports. However, Larry Nance Jr. believes even Pascal Siakam is an option. Nance Jr. did not mention Siakam specifically but the All-Star was not included in the ‘untouchable’ category. In fact, Nance Jr. only has two untradeable players in the NBA and neither are Zion Williamson nor Brandon Ingram.

Luka Doncic

“Luka’s untouchable. Steph is untouchable. And I’m saying you cannot trade those guys for anyone,” Nance Jr. shared on the Road Trippin’ podcast. He elaborated on the idea by asking, “Is Joel Embiid untouchable? Since we just saw what kind of package Rudy Gobert got, Jo’s gotta be…You mean to tell me if Milwaukee said, ‘Hey we’ll trade you Giannis for Jo…?”

Sticking with just the Raptors, Anunoby was expected to shoulder more of the offensive burdens along with Siakam before Scottie Barnes was drafted. Van Vleet’s stats have taken a dive. He has voiced frustration this season that the Anunoby/Siakam/Barnes priority leads to less time on the ball for him as a third or fourth option. Trent Jr. has put up 30+ points in a game this season, but has also been placed on the bench for stretches to start games.

The public friction is out of character for the franchise but if the head of the union is speaking on the situation, something has got to give. Barnes, the youngest star, was reportedly off the table during the Kevin Durant trade demand saga this summer. This season is a far cry from Van Vleet and Anunoby’s days leading championship runs and most league observers have projected the team to be broken up.

There is enough smoke in the rumor mill already. McCollum’s observations add fuel to the fire. The biggest question in almost every NBA front office before the deadline: Will Masai Ujuri just tinker to retool or will this Raptors team be completely dismantled?

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NBA Insider Marc Stein reports Trent Jr. is already on the shopping block but the Raptors are not looking to make wholesale changes to the roster. That’s too bad for the top contenders fighting in a seller's market. The Raptors have a lot of useful parts that just are not clicking like usual, and it goes beyond the trip already mentioned.

The interest in Van Vleet from New Orleans years ago has probably waned due to the trade for McCollum. Trent Jr. is arguably a lateral move at best as a bench option come playoff time, especially if Toronto asks for Dyson Daniels, Naji Marshall, or Jose Alvarado in return.

However, Anunoby ($17 million) and Siakam ($35 million) are two potential game-changers. Kira Lewis Jr., Jaxson Hayes, and Garrett Temple cover most of the salary match obligations for Anunoby. Devonte’ Graham, Jonas Valanciunas, or even Nance Jr. would be needed to match Siakam’s contract depending on the deal.

McCollum and Nance Jr. have spoken. Everyone in the NBA can see the opportunity this trade season provides. If Toronto really blows things up, the returning talent on short deals will not matter as much in the negotiations. The sticking point would be the number of draft picks and swaps changing hands. New Orleans has the assets but using them all now for a big contract limits future flexibility.

A multi-player roster shuffling move for more than one or two pieces could also upset the current locker room chemistry. So how will the team proceed? There is no pressure to make an early move. The Pelicans are in third place out west with a cushion. Williamson and Ingram will hopefully be back soon. CJ is playing at an All-Star level. There are still a few weeks to wait and see how things shake out on and off the court.

McCollum gave his opinion on the Toronto locker room. The media scrums will throw out questions concerning potential moves from New Orleans more frequently as the deadline approaches. Players will hear the whispers and see the headlines. However, I’d expect any internal evaluations by McCollum, Williamson, Ingram, or Griffin to remain in-house.

These two vets are the latest additions through trade after all.

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