Clippers may cut ties with $90 million surging scorer via trade to contender

The Los Angeles Clippers picked up their second win of the season, coming against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco Sunday night, improving to 2-1 through three games.

The Clippers have been the beneficiary of stellar performances from 2018 NBA MVP James Harden, but guard Norman Powell has arguably been the team’s biggest contributor.

An NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, Powell has been one of the more sneakily efficient players on high-volume shooting in the entire league, posting career averages of 12.6 points on 39.5% shooting from behind the three-point line.

After back-to-back seasons ending in a fourth-place finish in Sixth Man of the Year award voting, the former second-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft has exploded offensively to begin his tenth season.

At the potential peak of his powers, the Clippers could look to squeeze as much value out of the 31-year-old veteran by dealing him to a title contender looking to give away draft capital and young assets.

Before the season, Powell was included in rumors circulating around a potential sign-and-trade deal that would have landed Charlotte Hornets’ 26-year-old forward Miles Bridges in Los Angeles, a move with an eye toward the future. Talks have since stalled, but Powell’s incredible output could put him back on the radar of buying teams around the league.

Powell’s 24.7 points on 40% shooting from distance and 64.6% true shooting has perfectly complemented Harden as a reliable option that could relieve the former three-time NBA scoring champion of shot-creation duties.

After suffering defeat in their season opener against the Phoenix Suns, Powell’s 37 points and seven made three-pointers led the Clippers to a monumental 109-104 victory against the Denver Nuggets in enemy territory. Powell then put his fingerprints all over their next game as well, scoring 20 points in 28 minutes in another road win against the Golden State Warriors.

Potential suitors for the microwave scorer could be firmly situated in the Eastern Conference, as the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers are all teams that could use a boost to their scoring and three-point shooting efficiency as a group.

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