Former UCLA Men's Basketball Guard Norman Powell Traded to Los Angeles Clippers

The Portland Trailblazers dealt Powell and Robert Covington in a deal that netted them Eric Bledsoe, Keon Johnson and Justise Winslow.

For the fourth time in the past year, a former Bruin has made his way back to Los Angeles.

Former UCLA men’s basketball guard Norman Powell has been traded from the Portland Trailblazers alongside forward Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for guard Eric Bledsoe, forward Justise Winslow, forward Keon Johnson and a future second-round pick, as reported by ESPN senior insider Adrian Wojnarowski Friday morning. The deal will not only send him back to the city where he played his college ball, but it will also reunite him with forward Kawhi Leonard, with whom he won the 2019 NBA Championship as part of the Toronto Raptors.

This is the second time Powell has been traded in the past two seasons.

The Clippers are trading Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and future second-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 4, 2022

A year ago, there were no NBA Bruins who called Los Angeles home, but that has taken a turn since last summer. Guard Russell Westbrook was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Lakers in July, forward Trevor Ariza joined the Lakers in free agency and guard Darren Collison signed a 10-day contract with the purple and gold in late December.

The Lakers may not have re-upped Collison after that short stint, but their Crypto.com Arena neighbors made up for the outgoing Bruin by acquiring Powell a month later.

Playing for UCLA from 2011 to 2015, Powell became a large part of coach Steve Alford’s offense after he replaced Ben Howland as coach in 2013 and helped the Bruins win the Pac-12 tournament in 2014. Powell started every game he played under Alford, averaging 13.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game across those two seasons en route to an All-Pac-12 First Team spot in 2014-2015.

Powell graduated and entered the 2015 NBA Draft, where he was selected in the second round by the Raptors with the No. 46 overall pick.

Serving as a role player off the bench in his first few seasons in Toronto, Powell emerged as a 3-and-D lynchpin during the Raptors’ 2019 championship run and became a consistent starter and playing 30 or more minutes per game since.

In his seven-year pro career, Powell has averaged 11.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game on 46% shooting from the field.

The Clippers have been without Leonard and forward Paul George due to injury for most of the season, so it is likely Powell will fill the gap currently left by the perennial All-Stars and take over as a lead option on the 27-27 squad fighting for a playoff spot.

Powell is averaging a career-high 18.7 points per game and saw his usage and efficiency numbers spike since guard Damian Lillard went down with abdominal surgery. Averaging 20.3 points and 5.2 rebounds on 13.7 field goal attempts, 6.8 3-point attempts and 6.2 free throw attempts per game with .463/.443/.750 shooting splits since the start of January, Powell should continue to get consistent shots up as Clippers coach Tyronn Lue looks for someone to carry the offensive load in Los Angeles.

For his career, Powell is averaging 16.5 points per game versus the Clippers – more than he scores against any other opponent. With Crypto.com Arena serving as his new home, just 15 miles from Pauley Pavilion, Bruin fans can now watch Powell tear it up in the City of Angels once more.

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