King James Gospel
Fansided

CJ McCollum should be the Cleveland Cavaliers priority target

By Nathan Beighle

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 21: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers takes a shot against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of Game Four of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs at the Smoothie King Center on April 21, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 21: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers takes a shot against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of Game Four of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs at the Smoothie King Center on April 21, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
CLEVELAND, OH – JANUARY 2: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers shoots over Jae Crowder #99 and Jose Calderon #81 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on January 2, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – JANUARY 2: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers shoots over Jae Crowder #99 and Jose Calderon #81 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on January 2, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

How much is CJ McCollum worth?

With the 10th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Ohio-native CJ McCollum was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 2013 Draft was one the Cavs wish they had back, drafting Anthony Bennett No. 1 overall before the likes of McCollum, Otto Porter Jr., Victor Oladipo, Rudy Gobert and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

One of the top five in his draft class, McCollum just finished his fifth season in the league. He averaged 21.4 points per game down 1.6 points from his career-high 23.0 per game last season. While McCollum doesn’t often set his teammates up for success, he is an elite three-point shooter and a dynamic playmaker, something James lost when Cavs management dealt Kyrie Irving to their conference rival, the Boston Celtics.

On top of his on-court attributes, McCollum is under contract until following the 2020-2021 season. Albeit making nearly $30 million in the last year of his contract, McCollum should still be playing at an elite level, especially since he’ll still be about six months away from 30-years-old.

His age, his contract, and his skill set make him a valuable player, well worth the Cavs No. 8 overall pick. Combine McCollum with James, Hill, Love, and Thompson, and they should easily rival the Boston Celtics for the top Eastern Conference team.