Clippers Rumors: Norman Powell 'Considered Available for Trade' Across NBA

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell is reportedly viewed as a strong trade candidate this offseason.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Powell is "considered available for trade across the league" after his name came up in discussions with the Washington Wizards for veteran point guard Chris Paul. The Wizards instead sent Paul to the Golden State Warriors for Jordan Poole and two draft picks.

Powell, who won the 2019 NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors, has been with the Clippers since February 2022.

After primarily being a starter the previous two seasons, Powell almost exclusively came off the bench last season, starting only eight of the 60 games he appeared in.

Powell consistently provided an offensive spark for L.A., averaging 17.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 three-pointers made and 1.8 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. He was also hugely efficient, shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The 2015 second-round pick out of UCLA didn't have a significant role in his first four NBA seasons with the Raptors, but he increased his scoring to 16.0 points per game in 2019-20, and has averaged 17.6 points per game since the start of that season.

His best statistical season came in 2021-22, which he split between the Portland Trail Blazers and Clippers. Powell started 41 of the 45 games he played and averaged a career-high 19.0 points per contest.

Powell signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Blazers in 2021, meaning he is under contract through the 2025-26 season.

The 30-year-old veteran remains an extremely useful and productive player, but the Clippers potentially moving him could be a case of wanting to get out from under his contract and create some flexibility.

L.A. was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season, and Paul George being unable to play during the postseason was a big reason why.

George and Kawhi Leonard give the Clippers one of the best cores in the NBA when healthy, but that has rarely been the case over the past few seasons, and it has capped the team's potential.

Putting more capable pieces around George and Leonard is about the only thing the Clippers front office can do, and the only way to make that happen is by making trades or clearing cap space.

Trading Powell would accomplish that, but it would also result in the Clippers losing one of their best offensive players.