With the trade deadline less than one week away, the Clippers are striking early. Los Angeles acquired Norman Powell and Robert Covington from the Blazers in exchange for Justise Winslow, Eric Bledsoe, Keon Johnson and a second-round pick Friday, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Powell, 28, signed a five-year, $90 million contract last summer which takes him through 2026. Covington, 31, will be a free agent after this season. The Blazers, with Damian Lillard out for the foreseeable future, currently occupy the last play-in spot in the West. This trade essentially signals a tank for PDX. Bledsoe’s contract is guaranteed for only $3.9 million next season, while Winslow, 25, is signed for roughly $4 million. Johnson, a first-round pick in 2021, has appeared in only 15 games this season. Let’s grade the deal for both sides.
