LOS ANGELES - Norman Powell had just delivered his new furniture and was still settling into his Portland home when he learned he was being traded to the LA Clippers.
In his LA debut on Sunday, Powell showed he could be a good multi-purpose addition to the Clippers championship design for the future.
Powell scored 28 points and four assists in his first game with the Clippers during a 137–113 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. While Powell has impressed and shown what he can do with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George who are currently reeling from injuries, the Clippers are excited about what the short forward gives him next season when they look to play two of their stars. Looking forward to coming back together in full force.
"Really for my entire career, I've been in every single role on the team," Powell said after hitting 16 of 9 shots, including four 3-pointers, in 24 minutes from the bench. "Fighting and scratching who's trying to get into the rotation. Being in a rotation, being taken out of a rotation, playing with Kyle [Lori] and DeMar [DeRozan], Playing with Kyle and Kavi, [in Toronto] ].
"So I think I might fit in perfectly here, with PG and Kavi."
The Clippers (27-28) acquired Powell and versatile defensive forward Robert Covington in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick last Friday through Eric Bledsoe, Justice Winslow, rookie Keon Johnson and the Detroit Pistons. The Blazers were looking to reduce pay and add roster flexibility and the Clippers were able to land a player in Powell, who averaged 18.7 points for the Blazers this season.
Powell, 28, signed a five-year, $90 million deal last August.
"We never thought it was realistic for us to get a player like Norm Powell for a team that wouldn't have a salary cap space for a long, long, long time," said Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. "Actually, it's really hard to get players like Norm, who are under a long-term deal, who are in their prime."
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"Norm's ability as a three-tier scorer, the fact that he's such a great catch-and-shoot player when he's playing with the ball," he said. "It is, in fact, the complement of Kavi and PG."
Leonard is currently rehabilitating a torn right ACL in Game 4 of the Clippers' second-round series on June 14 against the Utah Jazz. His return this season is uncertain. George has been out since December 22 with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right shooting elbow and will undergo an MRI on February 24 to see how his elbow has responded in time.
Until their stars are able to make a comeback, the Clippers will rely on Powell to help Marcus Morris Sr. and Reggie Jackson with the scoring load.
"He's a dynamic scorer," said Clippers head coach Ty Lew, who had dinner with Powell. "Mid-range, on the rim, 3-point shot. We can do a lot [with Powell]."
Milwaukee head coach Mike Budenholzer echoed what Lew said and thinks the Clippers have gotten better.
"I think it's a good pickup for them," Budenholzer said. "He's a tough cover. To play like this on his first night with the team, it's impressive."
Covington, who had 13 points and hit three 3-pointers in his Clippers debut off the bench, said he was hoping to be traded to Portland, but thought he would end up in the Eastern Conference. For now, Covington finds himself on a Clippers team with the ability to play elite defense.
"Beyond excited," Covington said of the trade with Powell to the Clippers. "It's going to make us dynamic — more dynamic than what we already are and it's going to be scary defensively."
It's homecoming for Powell. He played at UCLA and is from San Diego which is two hours south of Los Angeles. And he is reunited with Leonard and Serge Ibaka. Powell hopes to emulate that type of success in Toronto, where he helped the Raptors lead Canada to the championship during the 2018–19 season.
"I think just maturity from being able to go through that whole experience, run that whole playoff and win a championship and just go out there and be able to fight," Powell said as he last played Leonard. How have you grown since playing with . "Like I said, I've been with the Raptors in every situation, in every situation and I've been through a lot and I think it's helped me and my game grow."