Daily Knicks
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New York Knicks: Realistic trade targets for star-chasing front office

By Maxwell Ogden

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards celebrates against the New York Knicks at Capital One Arena on March 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards celebrates against the New York Knicks at Capital One Arena on March 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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New York Knicks
CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 01, 2020 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Trail Blazers 117-93. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers

Although he’s never been an All-Star, I’m willing to go out on a limb and call CJ McCollum a star-caliber player. The Portland Trail Blazers have struggled in 2019-20, due in large part to injuries, but McCollum remains one of the best shooting guards in the Association.

If Portland decides that the undersized backcourt experiment of building around McCollum and Damian Lillard is over, then the New York Knicks should seriously look into a trade.

McCollum, who will turn 29 in September, is one of the most complete scorers in the NBA today. He’s averaged upwards of 20 points per game in each of the past five seasons, and has compiled a career slash line of .455/.397/.827.

Beyond the numbers, McCollum is an elite midrange scorer with deep three-point range and the ability to create off the bounce against defenders of all calibers.

For the Knicks, McCollum would offer a scorer around whom a team-oriented offense could be build. He’s a proven postseason performer who was even Portland’s go-to player when it defeated the Denver Nuggets to reach the Western Conference Finals in 2019.

This trade alone may not alter the trajectory of the franchise, but it could be a great first step towards doing so if the Trail Blazers’ request for compensation is fair.