Trail Blazers trade CJ McCollum to New Orleans. What's next after the end of an era?

The end of an era in Portland as the Trail Blazers on Tuesday sent CJ McCollum to New Orleans along with Tony Snell and Larry Nance Jr. in exchange for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Did Louzada, a protected 2022 first round pick and two future second round picks. Hart and Alexander-Walker can be contributors in the future and the draft pick is a nice consolation for losing a longtime centerpiece like McCollum. Did the Blazers get better? How can Hart and NAW help? This deal on the surface seems underwhelming, and it likely is, but it sets up the Blazers for more drastic moves down the line. So where do the Blazers stand in terms of cap space and future contracts after a couple of deadline moves? Is the beginning of a rebuild or the basis for a serious retooling? The answer remains to be seen but this deadline has left both paths open. Finally, let's remember what McCollum did in Portland over 8+ seasons. There was the Game 7 in Denver and an MIP season but also a lot of buckets and a consistency that should be appreciated. The show closes with a moment of appreciation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices