Outlandish trade targets the Chicago Bulls should avoid in 2022: CJ McCollum
A particular player that is a constant topic of trade speculation since the end of last offseason is the Portland Trail Blazers standout guard CJ McCollum. At this point, it is pretty clear that the Trail Blazers are not going to be able to make it work as a potential title contender in the Western Conference with a backcourt duo of superstar point guard Damian Lillard and McCollum.
Yet, the problem that the Blazers are going to face by now is the fact that McCollum’s contract looks to be more of a liability than it is an asset. McCollum is due around $34 million in average annual value through the end of the 2023-24 season.
Is that the worst contract for a team to have on the books in the world?
No.
But that is still one of the worst contracts of any big name that is currently a big topic of trade speculation this season. McCollum is a good player. But it’s hard to find one team that he is a perfect fit with that can afford to cleanly take his contract onto their cap sheet.
Given the fact that the Bulls have a unit that includes point guards Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, star shooting guard Zach LaVine, star shooting guard/forward DeMar DeRozan, etc., it would quite clearly be a clunky fit with McCollum in this group. The Bulls never really looked like a legitimate potential landing spot for McCollum.
Potential trade destinations worth mentioning for McCollum include the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and Sixers (if they could find a deal for Simmons).