Blazers Insider Shuts Down Rumored Portland Blockbuster Trade

Apr 13, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA: Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin (left), listens to Trail Blazers’ head coach Chauncey Billups answer a question during a press conference before Portland plays their last season game against Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers snagged one of the two surprise reunions of the summer when injured nine-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard linked back up with the club on a very reasonable three-year, $41.6 million agreement with a player option in 2027-28.

The other, of course, was the L.A. Clippers' decision to re-sign future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, who is based in Los Angeles but hasn't played for the team since 2017.

Now, the Trail Blazers have been linked to another surprise reunion — although a Portland beat reporter refutes the idea that it could happen.

Could former Portland shooting guard CJ McCollum, who once played alongside Lillard on several playoff pseudo-contenders in the Western Conference, find a way back to Rip City? McCollum was dealt to the Washington Wizards from the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this summer.

Joel Odom of The Oregonian unpacks the trade proposal in a new piece, but he takes umbrage with the liberal wording of the original post, noting that — despite a caveat that this was a prediction, not a news post embedded deep in the body of the text — the concept of a Lillard/McCollum reunion has understandably gained traction and engagement from nostalgic fans.

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"There are no indications that McCollum, who was Lillard’s backcourt mate with the Blazers from 2013-22, will be traded from the Washington Wizards to the Blazers. But that didn’t stop a website from posting the following headline this week: 'Wizards Trading CJ McCollum to the Portland Trail Blazers.'”

The 6-foot-3 Lehigh product, 33, only suited up in 56 games for the lowly Pelicans last season, averaging 21.1 points on .444/.373/.717 shooting splits, 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds a night.

"Again, there are no substantiated reports that the Blazers are trading for McCollum. They have a full backcourt that includes the superstar (albeit injured) Lillard, acquired earlier this month after his release from the Milwaukee Bucks, along with two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday and promising players in Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. It defies logic that they would trade for McCollum, who is entering the final year of his contract and is set to make more than $30 million in 2025-26."

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.