NBA
Ahead of free agency starting on Friday, the Clippers have made Norman Powell ‘available for trade’
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated28 Jun 2023
With free agency beginning on Friday at 6:00 pm, teams around the league are preparing themselves for trade possibilities. One franchise getting ready is the LA Clippers. League insiders have reported that the Clippers could look at making changes to their roster for next season. In doing so, the Clippers have made Norman Powell “available for trade”.
At the trade deadline last season, the Trail Blazers sent Powell to the LA Clippers. He sustained an injury shortly after the trade and only played five games for them in 2021-22. Head coach Ty Lue used Powell as an offensive spark off the bench.
He could have easily been a starter, but Lue used him in that role for a reason. Powell played in 60 games and made eight starts for the Clippers last season. His future with the team is in question as league reports say that the is available for trade across the league.
Norman Powell is available for trade, per @JakeLFischer pic.twitter.com/CJar871p1w
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 27, 2023
2019 NBA champ Norman Powell could be traded for the third time in the last three years
Norman Powell was acquired at the trade deadline last season by the LA Clippers. In his 40 games played before that trade, he made 39 starts. That was not the case for Powell this season. However, he still found a way to be effective off the bench for the Clippers.
He averaged (17.1) points, (2.9) rebounds, and (1.8) assists this past season. Powell shot an impressive (.397) percent from deep, taking (4.8) threes per game. In 2021, he signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Clippers acquired that contract in the trade last season.
Over the next three seasons, the Clippers still owe Powell $58 million. There’s a chance that LA is trying to trade Powell to rid themselves of his pricey contract. Throughout his career, Powell has proved that he can excel in the postseason.
The Clippers were eliminated in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, but Powell played well. He averaged (21.8) points per game on (.406) percent shooting from the field. LA’s front office has said that the team’s plan is to continue to build around Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Freeing up some cap space by trading Powell could help that cause.
