What if Kawhi Leonard wasn’t the only relic from the 2019 Raptors championship year that Toronto considered bringing back?
A couple key faces have already retired like the GROAT Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Danny Green, while Serge Ibaka has largely gone inactive since stint in the EuroLeague (though, some Raptors fans have certainly been on board for a “Mafuzzy Chef” reunion). Meanwhile, guys like Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam have gone on to thrive in their new environments, and unless something crazy happens during the season, I wouldn’t exactly put down a safe bet on any of those guys returning for a nostalgia run.
I left one name off that list though because he sticks out as a very tantalizing option to look at for a second go-around in Toronto, and that player in question is Norman Powell.
Despite being 33 years old and going into 12 seasons strong in the NBA, Powell is coming off his first-ever All-Star nod last year, when he was with the Miami Heat. That stint in South Beach didn’t last long, as he entered free agency this summer and chose to sign a two-year, $45 million deal with the Chicago Bulls. While his blazing three-point shot — which made waves during his latter Clippers stint (43.5% in 2023-24 and 41.8% in 2024-25) — cooled off a bit with the Heat last year (slipping to 38.0%), it’s still nothing to overlook. Many teams remain intrigued by how much you can look to Stormin’ Norman as dangerous floor spacer and with a wealth of experience under his belt now too, he’s a reliable presence to have in the locker room.
So the Bulls fit definitely makes sense in that regard, but it doesn’t quite feel like a lock for his NBA home if Chicago decides to cash in on Powell as a trade deadline candidate. His contract is easily movable, and I bet a host of teams around the league would at least inquire about his availability and pounce with their best offers if he’s truly put on the trade block.
The Toronto Raptors should absolutely be right there looking to bring Powell back, just like they’re doing with Kawhi.
A Norman Powell return would make total sense for this current version of the Toronto Raptors
In case you need a refresher, the Raptors moved Powell back at the 2021 trade deadline to the Blazers in return for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood. I, for one, was completely sold on the idea of GTJ turning out to be a gem, so the deal didn’t quite bother me back then. But looking back now, especially in those Raptors years where they desperately needed an element of solid three-point ability, I would constantly reflect on what could’ve been if Toronto just stuck with Norman instead. He wasn’t exactly old either and the deal they shelled out for GTJ could’ve been money splurged on Powell anyhow.
And aside from just reminiscing and pondering hypothetical scenarios, there’s some real-life substance to this idea, thanks to recent insights from Norman Powell himself. He was recently on a stream with social media personality N3on, where he was quoted as saying Toronto is “hands down” his favorite city to play for and the “best city in the NBA.”
To even further fuel the excitement of a potential reunion down the line, Powell was asked if he’d consider retiring in Toronto. He responded with a clear “I think I would,” and unlike Kyle Lowry’s recent one-day contract sendoff, Powell expressed a desire to return for an actual playing season. That certainly makes sense, considering Norm has a few good years left in his NBA tank. Bringing back Powell to the Raptors, especially as they aim for a deep playoff run alongside Kawhi Leonard again, might be their chance at salvaging what was an anticlimactic end to his first stint with the team.
Think about it like this. What did I recently touch upon in another article of mine? RJ Barrett is a stud, don’t get me wrong, but slotting in a better fit, especially a more capable and proven three-point threat at his current spot could unlock an even better version of this team. Toronto is still unsure what to do with RJ and while I’d love to see the hometown kid stick around, it may not be the best long-term plan with the expectations being so high.
Instead, why not try to leverage his contract, moving it for Powell who is leaps and bounds a way better volume three-point shooter than RJ, and based on how his career went wth Toronto before — you can either slot Norm in as the starting shooting guard or reward Ja’Kobe Walter instead with that spot and look to Powell’s spark as your go-to bench option.
Toronto would have to wait some time to pull off a deal like this since Powell can’t be moved until December 15 after signing his Bulls deal this summer, but that’s not a huge obstacle by any means. Sure, the upcoming Kawhi Leonard extension could further limit the Raptors’ finances down the line, but they already had to decide whether to trade, extend, or let RJ walk. So why not consider Powell as a top option? I’m all in and will be watching closely this season if these reunion rumors start to heat up.
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