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Report: LA Clippers Acquire Norman Powell From Portland Trail Blazers
The NBA has its first big move ahead of the trade deadline, and it comes between the LA Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday morning that the Clippers were acquiring Norman Powell and Robert Covington in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a 2025 second-round pick.
At first glance, this is an absolutely incredible deal for the Clippers. Powell is amidst a fantastic season in Portland, averaging 18.7 PPG on 45.6% from the field and 40.6% from deep. Acquiring a player of his caliber without giving up the likes of Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum or Ivica Zubac, is a massive win for a Clippers team that seeks a championship when full healthy.
While both Bledsoe and Winslow had played productive roles at times this season, their value in this deal is directly tied to their near-expiring contracts. Winslow is owed just $4.9M next season, while Bledsoe is owed just $3.9M. Exchanging these two for the nearly $80M remaining on Norman Powell's contract, seems to be the logic for a Portland Trail Blazers team that is finally trending towards bottoming out.
The lone prize in this deal for Portland, aside from the cap relief, is first-round pick Keon Johnson. While he had not gotten much time with the big club this season, Johnson excelled in the G-League, and projects to be a guy who can help Portland win games down the line. The Clippers will hate to see him go, but it is certainly a reasonable price to pay for a player of Powell's caliber.
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