Much of the Toronto Raptors trade buzz has been directed at a potential Kyle Lowry trade, but he is not the only player who could be wearing a new uniform in a week, as a Norman Powell trade is looking more realistic by the day.
Powell has been playing out of his mind of late. Over the past ten games, the man has been averaging 25 points per game all while shooting an absurd 52-44-90% from the field. Powell has proven that he can be a premier offensive option on a team with playoff aspirations, however lofty they may be.
Let’s be crystal clear. Moving Powell would not improve the team short-term. Trading him could be part of a group decision to punt on the 2020-21 season and take a shot at the lottery rather than the playoffs.
It would also be selling high on a player who’ll likely never buy the Raptors more on the open market than he would right now. With Powell likely to decline his player option and hit free agency in 2021, the Raptors could easily decide to trade him away in order to get some semblance of a return for him.
These 3 Norman Powell trades could benefit the Toronto Raptors
So which teams might be interested? Powell would fetch a pretty penny from most of the high-end contenders in the league in both picks and players. Here are three of the spiciest trade packages Powell could potentially help the Raptors acquire.
Norman Powell trade No. 1: The 76ers get Norm
The 76ers are on the fast track to the NBA Finals. With an MVP-level season from Joel Embiid, a DPOY-level season from Ben Simmons, and superstar GM Daryl Morey surrounding those two with a supporting cast of strong off-ball shooters, and it’s hard to argue with the 76ers being the best team in the East.
Powell would fit them perfectly. The one hole in that team has is at the wing position. A 2-3 who can score, defend, and not make mistakes in a playoff war with the Nets. Matisse Thybulle brings the defensive piece of that puzzle, but Powell brings all three.
As the playoffs go on, teams start dropping their bench guys from their rotation. A championship team must have at least five guys they trust. With Embiid, Simmons, Harris, Curry, and then Powell, Philly could win it all. That’s why they’d want to take this trade.
Would a Norman Powell trade to Philly help the Raptors?
As far as the Raptors go, Tony Bradley has been making some waves lately. With a couple of solid games after years of bouncing around the league, one might think this guy is a valuable asset to the 76ers. In reality, he’s a bench warmer. He doesn’t get a lot of minutes, but he has been ticking upward lately, He could be the kind of glass-cleaner that the Raptors need.
Tyrese Maxey is, of course, the centerpiece of this trade. While he’s been an advanced metrics and media darling with his high motor and 3-and-D mentality, he’s only been averaging around seven points per game this year. It’s doubtful the 76ers would pass up on Powell because Maxey is too high a price. Should be a contender for the all-rookie 2nd team.
Throw in Mike Scott to make the money work and we have a deal.
Norman Powell trade No. 2: Powell goes to Boston for Tristan Thompson
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are of course the cornerstones of the Celtics’ franchise, but with Kemba Walker on the downslope and Marcus Smart being inconsistent on the offensive end, the Celtics are in the market for a reliable two-way wing to run off the bench. That’s where Powell comes in.
At first glance, Raptors fans might not be too interested in this trade. Yes, Tristan Thompson is a hometown guy, and yes, he does plug a hole in the Raptors frontcourt, but is he really worth shopping a valuable trade piece like Powell? Not alone, but luckily, he’s not.
What would the Raptors get in this Norman Powell trade?
Romeo Langford has had a series of tough breaks since he was drafted in 2019. While his injuries and lack of success are serious concerns, he also never really had a chance to play in Boston. He’s a lottery guard who’s had a lot of tough breaks, and as a throwaway piece in a trade, the Raptors could do worse.
Now add in the Celtics first-round pick. Note that this won’t be a lottery pick. The Celtics will by all accounts finish as a top-five team in the East, which means that acquiring their first-round pick spells a rookie in the 18-25 range. Still, 2021 is a strong draft class down the line, and Masai Ujiri has a knockdown batting average when it comes to later draft picks.
All this together and it starts to look like an enticing trade package.
Norman Powell trade No. 3: Powell goes to Chicago in exchange for a big
If the Raptors decide to cash in their chips and make a move to the bottom this year, having their conference rivals pick up a few extra wins could make a surprising difference on Draft Night.
This might be the spiciest trade on this list. Adding Terence Davis to a package that already includes the best player in the trade (Powell) might seem like gilding the lily, but if the Raptors want to snag a talented young big like Wendell Carter Jr. then they’re going to have to overwhelm the Bulls with an offer.
Chicago is in an interesting spot in that they have a strong young core in the backcourt with Zach LaVine and Coby White, but not a lot of defense. The injection of two athletic wings like Powell and Davis could help a Bulls team trying to push for a playoff spot.
Davis is fun, but his contract expires at the end of this year and his highlights don’t reflect the skillset or consistency he doesn’t bring. However, given the upside and the All-Rookie nod last year, and he might just be enough to swing a move for Wendell Carter. Davis is likely to want a fatter contract this offseason, which a dumb team will offer him. Masai won’t.
Will Carter and Felicio help the Raptors?
On the flip side, Carter is exactly the type of player the Raptors need. A young yet intelligent big man who’ll protect the rim and grab double-digit rebounds frequently, the former Duke star is averaging 11.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, a frontcourt logjam could squeeze him out of the picture in Chicago.
He can hit a little from the outside and will be on an affordable contract for the next 2 years, so the Raptors’ first-class training could improve on his already strong game. Throw in Felicio to make the money work and things start to get interesting.
The one flaw with this move would that it would gut the Bulls frontcourt. The Bulls probably wouldn’t make this trade if they didn’t believe their other young big Daniel Gafford could step up, and probably wouldn’t dream of shopping Carter if Lauri Markkanen was still injured, but Markkanen’s back now and Gafford has good per-36 numbers and percentages, so who knows?
Moving Powell isn’t going to help Toronto compete in 2021, but it could set them up nicely for the future.