It's Time for Blazers to Bring Back Another Beloved Former Star

After bringing back injured nine-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard this summer, the Portland Trail Blazers should do right by another fan-favorite alum from the team's last fun era.

It became clear early that the club's starting backcourt of Lillard and CJ McCollum was too vulnerable defensively to ever truly challenge for a title, even despite Lillard's greatness and McCollum's very good-ness.

Even in his athletic prime, Lillard has always been a bit weak on that side of the hardwood. McCollum, a 6-foot-3 ball-dominant guard, was really miscast as a shooting guard in Terry Stotts' system. He's a very talented scorer and passer, but essentially he's a point guard who had to be moved a bit off the ball to accommodate Lillard.

They did achieve plenty together all the same, highlighted by a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals in 2019, where they were promptly swept by the much better Golden State Warriors, during their last year with Kevin Durant.

Would McCollum's Return to Portland Help Portland on the Hardwood?

Now, McCollum is collecting checks in D.C. after being shipped off to the Washington Wizards from the New Orleans Pelicans this summer for the younger Jordan Poole.

McCollum is on an expiring $30.7 million contract. He likely doesn't want to leave much money on the table even if he does agree to a buyout, and will take on a mentorship role on a Wizards club that now has several intriguing young development projects in big man Alex Sarr, forward Bilal Coulibaly, guard Carlton "Bub" Carrington, wing Corey Kispert, and rookie lottery pick Tre Johnston.

McCollum still has plenty to give on the hardwood, and a Portland reunion wouldn't only be a fan-placating gesture.

The biggest issue, of course, is that the Trail Blazers in addition to Lillard also added a second 35-year-old former All-Star guard in Jrue Holiday. Lillard is likely out for the year while rehabbing an Achilles tendon tear, but Holiday could possibly impede the development of young Trail Blazers guards Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson. Holiday is just a year removed from being an All-Defensive Team champion with the Boston Celtics, and will likely still command major minutes.

Adding three 33-plus-year-old guards could certainly hurt Sharpe and Henderson's path to growth. But, if Portland is over one of Sharpe or Henderson already (which its moves to add Lillard and Holiday seem to suggest), perhaps the team would be amenable to dealing away a younger guard and supplying a little fan service, as it configures its team around standout forwards Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara, and perhaps centers Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen.

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