Norman Powell was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2020-22. Since then, he's somehow managed to have two different breakouts with the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat. At 32 years old, Powell should be nearing the end of his prime and heading towards the descent of his career; yet he's taking his game to an entirely new level in Miami this season, averaging 25.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on efficient 51/46/87 shooting splits.
His play as of late should have both the Blazers and Clippers front offices second-guessing their respective decisions to part ways with such a prolific offensive scorer.
Blazers gave up on Norman Powell too soon
As part of a roster reset, Portland first sent Powell and Robert Covington to Los Angeles in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Keon Johnson, Justise Winslow, and a 2025 second-round pick. Powell immediately increased his production with the Clippers, making this a lopsided deal that the Blazers had very little to show for.
But hey, at least they received some young assets -- the Clippers' recent trade with the Heat was even worse!
As part of a three-team deal involving the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles acquired John Collins, as Powell and Collins were not expected to reach extensions with their former teams, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. This was also a move for the Clippers to clear cap space to sign Bradley Beal following his buyout with the Phoenix Suns. Beal has unfortunately already suffered a season-ending injury, and the Clippers now sit 14th in the Western Conference at 6-18, making this deal much more questionable in retrospect.
Norman Powell is the type of player Portland is missing
Overall, the Blazers have done exceptionally well reshaping their roster via trade -- a significant component considering Portland's market size and relative lack of appeal as a free agency destination (which we will never agree with -- this place is slept on!). That said, the Blazers have had a few seemingly minor trades, such as the Powell trade and, more recently, the Josh Hart deal, that have netted them very minimal returns.
That may seem insignificant in the scheme of things, but the Blazers' depth is among the worst in the league right now due to injuries. These are the types of trades they can't overlook because they add valuable depth to a roster.
It's even more worrisome considering how much Portland could use a shooter and shot-creator like Powell this season. Shaedon Sharpe is having a great season overall with a career high in scoring, but he's very limited as a floor spacer at this point in his career, connecting on just 24.6% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Powell is the type of piece Portland needs to take the next step back into the postseason. And while it stings that he's thriving elsewhere (again), they must now pivot to find someone to fill that offensive void, hopefully by February's trade deadline.