Trade Alert: Should Cavs have traded for Norman Powell?
The NBA Trade Deadline is fast approaching, as teams have until the afternoon of this Thursday, February 10th, to make deals during this league year. If the Cleveland Cavaliers want to upgrade their backcourt or add a quality wing for the stretch run and playoffs, this is the time.
As is common, at least one large deal gets done about a week ahead of time, and this season was no exception. Friday afternoon the Portland Trail Blazers and LA Clippers agreed to a five-player deal that sends Eric Bledsoe, Justice Winslow and Keon Johnson to the Blazers in exchange for Norman Powell and Robert Covington.
The Clippers are trading Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and future second-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 4, 2022
This deal between two Western Conference teams unlikely to win a playoff series should have little-to-no bearing on the Cavs directly, other than improving the Clippers ahead of their March 14th meeting (the Cavs have already played and swept both games with Portland this season). Yet it does bring up an indirect question: given what few assets the Clippers gave up in this deal, should the Cavs have made a push for Norman Powell?
As the Cavs search for an upgrade on the wing, Norman Powell was traded at a low cost. Should Cleveland have jumped in and traded for Powell?
Norman Powell is in the first year of a five-year, $90 million contract he signed this past offseason. Given that Portland sent him and Covington’s expiring deal out and got back salary for next year (Bledsoe has a partial guarantee and Winslow is fully guaranteed for four million) and just a devalued rookie first-rounder and future second-roud pick, it’s clear the Blazers couldn’t get more value for Powell around the league.
The Cavs have a few different assets they could have tossed into such a deal. Should they have jumped in and made an offer for Powell? Would he solve any of the needs they have as a team? It may seem like a moot point, but let’s consider it an exercise at how the Cavs should be analyzing each potential deal leaguewide. Let’s look at the reasons for and against trading for Norman Powell.