Norman Powell Trade Rumors: Raptors Shopping Guard Ahead of 2018 NBA Draft

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly considering trading guard Norman Powell this summer as they seek to land a first-round draft pick.

According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN, "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."

He added that "the team's depth has made Powell expendable. If they’re going to move him, this might be the best time to do it."

As Marc Stein of the New York Times reported, the Raptors are trying to get into the top 10 of this year's draft: 

It's unlikely that Powell would fetch that sort of return, of course. For the Raptors to make that jump, they'd likely need to offload DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry, which in turn would signal the beginning stages of a rebuild. 

But as Lewenberg reported, that doesn't seem to be the route the team is interested in taking:

"Both publically and privately, the Raptors have indicated they have no intention of entering a rebuild. They are open to change, and every player on their roster is believed to be available at the right price—as they should be after coming up short again this spring. But the sense is they would need fair value in return for their stars; they’re not looking to simply unload those big salaries and hit the reset button."

Powell, on the other hand, could potentially be used to get back into the late first round or early second. While he took a step back last year, averaging just 5.5 points and 1.3 assists while shooting 40.1 percent from the field and 28.5 percent from three, both career lows, he's still a player with an appealing skill set.

As Lewenberg noted, "His value isn't what it used to be, but it's not hard to envision a team talking themselves into Powell—a young, athletic, hard-working and high-character wing with two-way potential."

The Raptors, who once again couldn't get over the hump in the Eastern Conference, may need to make some changes heading into the 2018-19 season, especially as teams like the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers seem likely to be improved next year. Moving Powell could certainly be a part of those efforts.