Portland Trail Blazers: 3 key reasons why Norman Powell will re-sign

Many critics insinuated that the Portland Trail Blazers decision to trade Gary Trent Jr. for Norman Powell was a short-sighted, win-now move. In reality, the Portland brass made a smart move cashing in on Trent’s potential for a player that would help the Blazers now and for the foreseeable future. The transaction could sour though, if Norm decides to take his talents elsewhere this summer.

A four-year veteran at UCLA, the former Bruin was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 47th pick in the 2015 draft. He quickly proved he was worth the late second-round selection, immediately earning a consistent bench role in Toronto. He developed his game year-after-year before becoming one of the NBA’s top sixth men and playing a crucial role in the Raptors 2019 championship run. He’s more than outplayed the $11 million player option that he’s sure to decline this offseason.

Powell has become an explosive scorer, reliable shooter, secondary ball-handler, above average defender, and exceptional athlete all in one. His potential to go off on any given night enticed Portland into acquiring him before the trade deadline.

Norman Powell could be the third-option the Trail Blazers need

Since arriving in the Western Conference, Norm has fit in seamlessly alongside the Blazers star backcourt. He’s been a consistent third scoring option, dropping 17ppg while slashing 44/36/88.

Even more promising is how he’s elevated his game in the playoffs. Against the Denver Nuggets, Powell is averaging 17ppg on 51 percent from the floor, 35 from deep, and 88 from the stripe.

He flat out dominated, going off for 29 points on a cool 14-18 shooting. His incendiary scoring helped the Blazers demolish the Nuggets to even the series, on a day when Damian Lillard went cold with a 1-10 shooting performance no less.

While he cooled off in Game 5, he still delivered with his energy and aggressiveness. At times, he and Dame looked like the only Blazers who wanted to win. Norm finished a game-high +11 in 51 minutes due to his activity.

This is exactly the type of player the Blazers need to get past the Nuggets and for their title runs moving forward. The Portland brass needs to beef up their pitch to ensure that Norm suits up in Blazers red next season.

Here are three reasons that Powell will re-sign with the Portland Trail Blazers.