Veteran guard CJ McCollumâs name is beginning to circulate quietly ahead of the NBA trade deadline, and the Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams keeping tabs. According to ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel, league sources believe McCollum could be acquired for as little as two or three second-round picks, an unusually modest price for a proven scoring guard.
That valuation reflects both McCollumâs age and contract, but it also underscores how aggressively Washington may be looking to move veterans. McCollum is on an expiring $30.7 million deal, a number that complicates trade mechanics yet simultaneously creates urgency. For a rebuilding team, that combination often leads to deadline concessions.
A Timeline Mismatch in Washington
Now with the Washington Wizards, McCollum is averaging 18.8 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 45 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 79 percent at the line. Those numbers only tell part of the story. After a slow adjustment period, McCollum has looked far more comfortable recently, operating with better rhythm and control.
Still, Washington sits at 5-22, dead last in the NBA. The disconnect between a full rebuild and a 34-year-old scorer on an expiring contract is obvious. Even with McCollum playing efficient basketball, the Wizards have little incentive to keep him past the deadline, especially with control of their own first-round pick in a loaded 2026 draft class.
From Washingtonâs perspective, the goal is simple: extract future value without accidentally winning games that could jeopardize lottery positioning. Multiple second-round picks, expiring contracts, or salary ballast would all satisfy that objective.
Why the Clippers Make Sense
The Clippersâ interest is rooted in necessity. Los Angeles ranks 24th in offensive rating and sits as the leagueâs third-lowest scoring team at 110.6 points per game. That deficiency has been magnified by injuries and roster instability.
Head coach Tyronn Lue has publicly maintained that the Clippers intend to push for the playoffs, but that task grew more difficult after Ivica Zubac sprained his ankle. More importantly, the Clippers have lacked a reliable tertiary scorer next to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, a role they expected Bradley Beal to fill before his season-ending hip fracture.
With Beal sidelined for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, the Clippersâ offense has leaned too heavily on isolation creation. McCollumâs off-ball shooting, pull-up threat, and late-clock scoring would immediately raise the floor of their half-court offense.
The Financial Hurdle
The obstacle, as always, is money. McCollumâs $30.7 million salary is steep for a score-first guard on the wrong side of 30, especially in a market that cooled dramatically on similar archetypes last offseason. Any deal would require Los Angeles to send out matching salary, likely involving additional contracts or expiring flexibility.
Still, the calculus changes for a desperate contender. If the Clippers believe this season represents a narrow competitive window, McCollumâs expiring deal becomes a feature rather than a flaw.
For Washington, the motivation is equally clear. With the Wizards prioritizing draft positioning and asset accumulation, holding McCollum past peak value makes little sense. If the return is future capital, even modest capital, the incentive to strike before the deadline is strong.
The price is a bit high, but manageable in comparison to some of the other star guards that have been floated out on the trade market. The fit is clean. And with uncertainty surrounding the Clippersâ direction, this is the type of under-the-radar deal that could quietly reshape the deadline landscape.
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