NBA trade deadline: Pelicans acquire C.J. McCollum; Pacers-Kings swap six players
The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired guard C.J. McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a seven-player trade, said two people familiar with the situation on Tuesday.
The Pelicans will also receive forwards Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell in the deal, while the Trail Blazers get forward Josh Hart, and guards Tomas Staoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada, as well as draft compensation in the form of a 2022 protected first-round choice and two future second-round picks. The people spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been made official.
The trade marks the end of an era in Portland, where McCollum has been paired with Damian Lillard in the backcourt since 2013. Portland has reached the playoffs every season since they drafted McCollum. However, the Blazers struggled in the postseason, reaching the Western Conference finals only once while being eliminated in the first round five times.
The 30-year-old McCollum is averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds this season.
He gives the Pelicans a needed outside shooting threat at a time when New Orleans appears to be on the upswing under first-year coach Willie Green — despite playing this season without star forward Zion Williamson. After starting 1-12, the Pelicans (21-32) entered Tuesday’s games on the heels of a three-game road winning streak and occupying the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.
Williamson, incidentally, has been in Oregon trying to rehabilitate from offseason surgery to repair his fractured right foot. It is unclear whether he will be ready to return this season.
New Orleans is making less than 33% from three-point range this season, and they are 29th in the league three-pointers made. McCollum has shot no less than 37.5% from beyond the arc every season in every season of his career.
With the NBA trade deadline Thursday, the Lakers and Clippers are actively seeking to make some moves. L.A. Times NBA reporters weigh their options.
In 2019, McCollum signed a three-year contract extension worth $100 million that runs through the 2023-24 season. It took effect this season.
This marks the second multiple-player trade the Blazers have made in advance of Thursday’s deadline. On Friday, Portland sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow and Keon Johnson. That move was widely seen as financial, as it put the Blazers below the luxury tax threshold.
Lillard, a six-time All-Star, has been sidelined since the start of the year with an abdominal injury that required surgery. Like Williamson, it is unclear when, or if, he will return this season, but Lillard was at the team’s practice facility on Monday putting up a few shots.
Hart this offseason agreed to a three-year extension with New Orleans that is worth $37.9 million and includes a third-year player option. He has been a popular and productive role player in New Orleans since being traded to New Orleans during the 2019 offseason — along with forward Brandon Ingram, guard Lonzo Ball and two first-round draft picks — from the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a deal that paired Anthony Davis with LeBron James.
Ball has since been traded to Chicago. Hart has averaged 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds this season.
Veteran guard Norman Powell won a title alongside Kawhi Leonard and has greatly improved the last two seasons. He says he fits well with the Clippers.
The Blazers have lost five straight and are in 11th place in the Western Conference standings.
Pacers, Kings swap six players
The Indiana Pacers traded two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday in a six-player deal, a person with direct knowledge of the details confirmed to the Associated Press.
Sacramento is sending Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to the Pacers, the person told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been officially announced.
The Kings will get Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a second-round draft pick plus Sabonis, who is averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He leads the Pacers in all three categories.
It’s the second major deal Indiana has made in less than a week. The Pacers also sent Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the injured Ricky Rubio and three draft picks including a lottery-protected first-round selection this summer. Rubio has already been ruled out for the rest of this season and has an expiring contract.
Sabonis and Indiana shot-blocker Myles Turner have been the speculation of trade rumors for weeks.
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