The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly shopping for talent at the trade deadline, but one potential target is off the market.
Norman Powell and Robert Covington of the Trail Blazers were traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round draft pick.
I was actually shocked at how little it took to get those two players and wondered why the New Orleans Pelicans weren’t involved, as they almost certainly could have beat that offer for Powell, who I thought would be a great fit.
The New Orleans Pelicans could have offered more for Norman Powell
Powell immediately showed his value for the Clippers, scoring 28 in an eventual loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
He is the type of guy who can thrive off the ball as a secondary option and occasionally take a game over, so I thought he’d be a nice fit with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. He is also on a reasonable contract, so I am not sure why the Pels didn’t get in on this one (more on that later).
The Clippers essentially got two productive players for nothing, as the three guys they gave up are either not playing well or not playing at all, and the 2025 2nd-round pick is virtually worthless.
The Pels could have offered a similar or better package of players and picks but chose not to, which could give us a clue about the future.
What’s next for the Portland Trail Blazers?
The Clippers clearly won this trade player-wise, as Portland was desperate to get out of the luxury tax and wanted to shed some contracts.
This could be a sign that the Blazers are ready to blow it up completely, or just that they know they aren’t winning anything this season and don’t want to pay a premium for a team that is going nowhere.
The Pels have been connected to CJ McCollum in rumors and if Portland is really going to blow it up and build around Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons and the pieces, then trading McCollum seems like the next logical move.
Of course, the writing has been on the wall for the Lillard/McCollum pairing for quite some time, and Portland still hasn’t traded either one of them, so I would never rule out that they are going to keep their veteran backcourt together.
But the Powell move does seem like a sign of more to come, and even if Portland isn’t involved, the New Orleans Pelicans could be on the cusp of a big move.
The New Orleans Pelicans have something brewing
Like I said, Norman Powell is a great fit for the Pelicans and they could have offered more, so the fact they didn’t tells me that something else might be brewing.
Even if it isn’t CJ McCollum, the Pelicans must have something big in the works, otherwise I don’t see why they wouldn’t have beaten that offer for Powell.
I think the recent surge into the play-in tournament has to have the Pels’ brass wondering if they are big move away from really being a player in the Western Conference, especially once Zion Williamson returns either this season or next.
The Pelicans can go for it now and then be ready to compete for a top seed next season when they will hopefully be at full strength.
I would have been happy if the Pelicans had traded for Powell, but the fact that they didn’t might mean a bigger deal is coming.