NBA Rumors: Norman Powell Could Be 'Surprise' Target For Teams Ahead Of Trade Deadline

As quoted by Bleacher Report, ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently revealed on SportsCenter that Powell's name has "really emerged" as a potential target for multiple league executives. This comes shortly after he scored a career-high 43 points in a game against the Detroit Pistons.

"About to be a free agent, the Raptors trying to decide what to do going forward this season and into the future, so Norman Powell could be a surprise name that could help a contender in a late deal this week."

As shown on his Basketball-Reference page, Powell has spent his entire six-year NBA career with the Raptors. After spending most of his first four seasons as a reserve, he became a part-time starter in 2019-20, averaging 16 points and 3.7 rebounds while starting 26 out of 52 games.

Although he is still technically the first guard off the bench behind Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet, Powell is currently averaging 19.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists and shooting 49.8 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from beyond the arc.

As pointed out by Bleacher Report, the Raptors are expected to be sellers in the lead-up to the trade deadline due to their recent losing streak, which has seen them drop seven straight games. Trading Powell will allow the club to receive something in return for him instead of risking the possibility of losing him as a free agent if he declines his player option for the 2021-22 campaign.

While the Raptors could potentially extend Powell’s contract, the publication cautioned that “money could be tight” with VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby’s long-term contracts eating into their salary-cap space.

Prior to the new update on Powell, Lowry was the Raptors player who was mentioned most often in the rumor mill. The six-time All-Star, who turns 35 years old on the day of the trade deadline, has been linked to several teams, including his hometown Philadelphia 76ers.

One recent trade idea suggested that the Sixers could acquire Lowry in a three-way deal also involving the Minnesota Timberwolves. This transaction would allow the Raptors to acquire several players in return, including the Sixers' Danny Green and the Timberwolves' Jarrett Culver.