The Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers will be making a trade just days ahead of the NBA trade deadline, and there will surely be ramifications in the Western Conference.
The trade: Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers are trading Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and future second-round pick to the Trail Blazers, who will send Norman Powell and Robert Covington to Los Angeles.
- Clippers get: Norman Powell and Robert Covington.
- Blazers get: Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and future second-round pick.
Details: “The emergence of Anfernee Simons allows for the Blazers to move off the balance of Norman Powell’s long-term contract — and gives the Clippers a proven two-way wing to partner with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George,” according to Wojnarowski,
Why this matters: This is the first major trade to happen before the 2022 trade deadline. The NBA’s trade deadline often reshapes the league, giving title contenders more options as their squads chase titles.
The bigger picture: There has been a boatload of trade rumors about Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard since the beginning of the season.
- Lillard confirmed in August that he had no plans to leave Portland, the Deseret News’ Ryan McDonald wrote at the time.
- Lillard’s name has been thrown around in potential trades for Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons.