The Washington Wizards have plenty of eyes on them heading into the regular season.
With plenty of new additions on the roster, including multiple young prospects like Tre Johnson and Cam Whitmore, Washington has a variety of options for head coach Brian Keefe to lean in the team's revamped roster.
However, general manager Will Dawkins made it clear that the Wizards rebuild is only in the beginning stages with no end in sight.
Obviously, Washington has picked up several intriguing pieces along the way and with the likes of Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and even AJ Johnson now being joined by the team's most recent additions, the Wizards are slowly but surely seeing minutes become scarce.
Not only have the Wizards added young talent over the last year, but they have also added several veterans.
Looking at vets like Khris Middleton and newly acquired CJ McCollum, there's multiple options that Washington will heavily be weighing as the NBA trade deadline approaches in February.
Nonetheless, there's a growing sense that McCollum in specific could find himself being dealt even sooner than the February deadline.
McCollum joined the Wizards earlier in the offseason in one of the first blockbuster trades of many,
The 34-year-old guard landed in Washington in exchange for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and draft compensation.
Washington's motive to land McCollum seemed clear when looking at the financial flexibility that offloading Poole and bringing in McCollum's expiring contract brought.
Further than that, Washington was able to land a veteran presence in the backcourt that could mentor the Wizards young players after a failed Malcolm Brogdon experiment left the team searching for that addition once again entering the offseason.
And while McCollum may serve as the veteran with the Wizards, there's a real chance that following the injury to Fred VanVleet in Houston, the Rockets could be in the market for an addition to replace the reliable guard.
If Houston comes calling looking to make a move, the Wizards will be forced to listen, especially if it offers them something beneficial in return.
Regardless, whether it's the Rockets or another desperate team across the league, McCollum's chances to end the season on the Wizards is declining by the second.
Washington's priority is on the future and considering McCollum's age, the relationship between both sides could be short-lived.
That said, don't be surprised to see McCollum moved sooner rather than later.