The Toronto Raptors were expected to be one of the biggest players at the 2021 NBA Trade Deadline given how quickly they have fallen apart, and they made good on those predictions, trading away star guard Norman Powell to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for guard Gary Trent Jr. and wing Rodney Hood.
While Hood has been a solid scorer for the better part of a decade in this league, his injury history means that Trent, who just turned 22 years old and is a restricted free agent at the end of this season, is the big prize in this deal.
There is a lot to like about Trent. Despite sharing the floor with two ball-dominant guards in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, Trent, a former second-round pick out of Duke, has averaged 15.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game this season.
Like his father, Trent was traded from Portland to Toronto 41 games into his third season (crazy, I know!) While Powell could be a difficult player to replace given his offensive skill, Trent has enough potential to get Masai Ujiri and Nick Nurse excited about his long-term potential.
Heck, he and Powell look like almost identical players at times.
Toronto has traded Norm Powell to Portland for Gary Trent and Rodney Hood, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 25, 2021
How does Toronto raptors acquisition Gary Trent Jr. compare to Norman Powell?
Trent is not as skilled an offensive player as Powell, but he is more than serviceable on that end, as he is 40% shooting this season. Excellent in transition, Trent can get to the hole, finish at the rim, and line up at multiple backcourt spots.
Trent might’ve been on a bad defensive team in Portland, but he was one of the few solid players on that side of the floor, using his size and tenacity to show flashes of greatness as an on-ball defender. While Powell had his long wingspan, he was never a tremendous defender on the wing, and Trent could help solidify Toronto’s perimeter.
Trent can't really create his own bucket outside of transition play yet but he finishes OK around the rim. He bombs a LOT of wing 3s, replacing Powell's key offensive role.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) March 25, 2021
It's maybe not the package some hoped, but it's cheaper/younger/better defending Powell-ish piece.
Trent is not a perfect player, however. On offense, he struggles to create his own shot, and he was often reduced to standing around in the corner. In Nurse’s offense, that won’t fly. Handling the ball and passing have also been adventures, for all the wrong reasons.
While a solid shooter, he is a tier below Powell, which could make for a rude introduction to Toronto. However, if the Raptors stick with him and improve his offensive game, Trent should be able to remain a long-term fixture.
In the short-term, Trent is not an upgrade over Powell. However, it took Powell five years to become a double-digit scorer, and Trent has accomplished that by his third season in the league. If he learns to be more creative on the offensive end, he has enough talent to improve into a star player, as he has made humungous strides over his first few seasons.