More on Norman Powell Trade?
Dinwiddie was also recently mentioned as a trade candidate for Raptors guard Norman Powell on the Hoops Collective Podcast. Those exploratory trade discussions happened before this month, a league source told HoopsHype.
Separately on his Hoops Collective podcast (21:20), Windhorst said the Nets are among several teams interested in Norman Powell of the Raptors who’s on an expiring deal that’s nearly identical to Dinwiddie’s. “There are teams interested in Norman Powell,” Windhorst said. “They could trade him and I know one of the teams interested in him is Brooklyn, for example. You talk about Brooklyn upgrading at the deadline. They could.
“There are multiple teams interested in Powell and Brooklyn’s in there. The have Spencer Dinwiddie and I know Dinwiddie can’t play this year but to get his Bird Rights could be interesting.
If they don't, why wouldn't Philly turn its attention to Powell? Powell is a borderline lock to decline his $11 million player option for next season, raising a pressing dilemma for the Raptors. Powell is going to get capital-P paid; executives expect a $20 million annual salary.
Do the Raptors want to pay him -- making him their fourth high-salaried player going forward? Maybe. They could always try to sign-and-trade him, but that requires Powell's cooperation. Powell is not a playmaker/organizer like Lowry, and maybe that is the skill set Philly craves given Ben Simmons' limitations in crunch time. He's a worse defender than both Lowry and Green. But Powell is clearly reaching a new level as a scorer. His Bird rights have real value.
Dallas, Boston, Minnesota, Detroit and Atlanta have all been linked to Powell discussions as the deadline draws closer, sources said. "I think there's probably a 75 percent chance he gets moved," said one team capologist.
A breakout season has made Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell an intriguing option ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline. ESPN's Brian Windhorst provided the latest buzz on SportsCenter: "A name that has really emerged in the last few days as I talk to league executives: Norman Powell from Toronto, who is having a career season, averaging almost 20 points, shooting 45 percent from three-point range, had a 40-point game last week. About to be a free agent, the Raptors trying to decide what to do going forward this season and into the future, so Norman Powell could be a surprise name that could help a contender in a late deal this week."
“I don't concern myself with [trade rumours],” Powell said Wednesday night. “I'm just focused on trying to get these wins, trying to help the team win. I used to concern myself with that earlier in my [career], and now it's just whatever happens, happens. You go forward with that mentality, but I'm just focused on what I can control. And hopefully, we can get back [healthy] and continue to fight for these playoff positions.”
Whether the Toronto Raptors emerge as buyers, sellers, or inactive ahead of the March 25 trade deadline, Norman Powell remains a constant subject of interest. Powell continues to be an attractive trade target with a $10.865 million base salary and $11.6 million 2021 player option that he will almost certainly decline, as he's widely expected to find a more lucrative deal on the open market. ESPN's Zach Lowe stated that several teams are swirling around the 27-year-old shooting guard.
If the Raptors want to make a package to acquire another star player on the trade market, Powell could be included. “He had such a good year that I wouldn’t want to do it to him, but you’d get maximum value for him,” one NBA scout said.
League sources believe that the most likely trade the Raptors are to pull off this offseason is a salary dump of Norman Powell, who fell out of the rotation last year and saw his numbers plummet. Powell played just 40 total minutes in the postseason this year, and he has a four-year, $42 million extension kicking in on July 1.
Norman Powell is also a noteworthy trade chip. The Raptors have already been gauging interest in the 25-year-old guard ahead of the draft, sources tell TSN. After signing a four-year, $42-million extension in the fall, Powell turned in a disappointing third NBA season, losing his starting job in November and then falling out of the rotation altogether.
DeRozan, Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas will likely garner the most interest on the market, though Ujiri could look to cut salary in the form of top disappointment Serge Ibaka or Norman Powell, who is about to see his salary take a leap as his extension kicks in.
According to league sources, Toronto has made guard Norman Powell available in trade discussions. The emergence of rookie O.G. Anunoby has made Powell expendable.
In the end the Raptors balked at sending Cory Joseph, Norman Powell, Patrick Patterson and their No. 9 pick to Oklahoma City for Ibaka. Ujiri wants to add to his talent base, not create a new weakness (bench strength), which is why he stood still at the trade deadline too.
