Former Raptors Guard Opens Up About Being Traded: 'I was sad'

Norman Powell still remembers the moments leading up to the 2021 NBA trade deadline and the shock that followed when the clock struck 3 p.m.

He figured he’d be safe. It had been a breakout season for the Toronto Raptors sharpshooter down in Tampa, and despite the team’s disappointing record, he thought he was sticking around. At 2:55, he spoke to Fred VanVleet, confident he wasn’t being traded. Three minutes later, Powell recalled speaking to his agent, who again reassured him he wasn’t being moved.

“I got the call. I was like, I'm good, I'm safe. I took an exhale,” Powell recalled on The Young Man and the Three podcast.

Then came the news.

Toronto had struck a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, sending Powell out in exchange for Gary Trent Jr.

“I was sad. Honestly, I think that was my initial feeling and thought process,” Powell said. “I was like, man, this is really over. I really didn't expect it, because I always had the mentality and the mindset of like I want to be that player that stays with an organization his whole career.”

The trade signaled the start of a new era for the Raptors.

The hope had been to see Powell, VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby grow together. But with looming contract extensions and a shift in team direction, Toronto opted to pivot.

“I thought we could have kept the band together for at least another two, three years, and see where we could actually take it,” Powell said.

At the time, the trade seemed logical for Toronto. Trent was seen as a younger version of Powell, capable of providing similar production with more upside. But his development never quite took off, while Powell continued to thrive first in Portland, then in Los Angeles, where he has become a 24-point-per-game scorer this season for the Clippers.

“They could have paid me what they paid Gary Trent and kept the band together,” Powell said. “I wanted to be with my boys. So, yeah, let's go to the negotiation and see what's beneficial for both and see what we can do.”

Trent’s contract and Powell’s deal weren’t far apart in terms of average annual value. Trent signed a three-year, $51.8 million deal with a player option, while Powell inked a five-year, $90 million contract.

Now, four years later, Toronto’s roster has undergone a near-complete overhaul. Only Chris Boucher remains from the group that played alongside Powell, and the Raptors have committed to a more earnest rebuild.

Powell, now 31, continues to do what he does best. He remains one of the league’s most efficient scorers and is helping lead the Clippers back to the postseason as their leading scorer.