Dallas Mavericks: 5 trade targets that could push them into title contention

2. CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers had a disappointing season. Injuries played a factor, but they would have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013 if the standings are final. Even if play resumes, Portland is 3.5 games behind the Grizzlies for the eighth and final playoff spot.

More from The Smoking Cuban

• Mavericks: How to maximize Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis pairing
• Dallas Mavericks: Did they do enough this offseason to jump into title contention?
• Mavericks: What to watch for as Dallas faces Utah Jazz in summer league
• Dallas Mavericks rumors: Bulls want first round pick for Lauri Markkanen
• Mavericks: Teammates look to collect debts after Luka Doncic’s extension

The Blazers are also up against the cap. They have over $107 million committed in salary for next season according to Spotrac. Nobody knows what the final cap figures will be because of the lost revenue from the suspension, but Portland will not have a ton of room to maneuver.

Will they finally break up the Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum backcourt? The answer is probably no, but there is a small chance.

McCollum has four years left on his deal, so the Dallas Mavericks would have their big three locked up for the foreseeable future. The 28-year-old is a proven scorer and secondary creator. It would allow the Mavs to stagger Doncic and McCollum to always have a ball-handler on the floor.

He brings playoff experience too. The Blazers made the conference finals in 2019 behind McCollum averaging 24.7 points per game during their playoff run. The Mavericks would be scary on the offensive end of the floor with CJ McCollum.

Next: No. 1