Raptors: Norman Powell is making it impossible to trade him

The Toronto Raptors will likely be in the market for some of the potential trade chips that will become available at the 2021 Trade Deadline. If they want to potentially upgrade their frontcourt, Toronto doesn’t have a ton of pieces that could conceivably be moved. Norman Powell looked like the perfect candidate to move given his $10.8 million salary.

Powell was averaging 10.8 points per game on just 36% shooting during Toronto’s awful 2-8 start, but he has turned things around of late. From January 16 onward, Powell has upped his scoring to 21.4 points per game, shooting 52% from the field and 45% from 3-point range as the Raptors fought back into the postseason.

Powell seems like a player that could be on the move if Toronto wants to pursue, say, Andre Drummond. He’s scoring just under 18 points per game, he’s a lethal 3-point shooter, and the fact he could (and likely will) not pick up his player option for 2021 makes him a prime candidate to be swapped.

However, even though Toronto could lose him for nothing this offseason, he’s been playing so well that including him and some other assets in a trade would feel like a potentially destabilizing move by Masai Ujiri.

Norman Powell is becoming too important for the Raptors

The only Raptors making $30 million or more are Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam. While Lowry might be on the move to a very specific destination, Siakam isn’t going anywhere. Fred VanVleet signed a four-year deal in the offseason, making him another player that isn’t going to be traded.

Considering how the money exchanged has to be somewhat equal in NBA trades, Powell’s salary and performance would make him a very intriguing piece that could be moved. Given his impending free agency, the Raptors could turn a player who might leave in the offseason into a different player who could give them more over the long haul.

Despite that, injuries to Kyle Lowry and OG Anunoby forced Powell to take more of the scoring load. Not only has he survived in that role, but he’s thrived. With a complete lack of depth at the wing position behind him, as the fact that DeAndre’ Bembry is the best offensive wing on Toronto’s bench illustrates, trading Powell for a non-superstar might be a very hard sell.

Powell is likely going to opt out, as the California native and UCLA alum will likely pursue lucrative options in the States. However, if the Raptors believe that cohesion and hot shooting will lead them to a title, Powell might be untouchable. If that is indeed the case, Ujiri could let the deadline pass without a trade.