Ahead of the deal deadline, the Blazers and Clippers reportedly struck a deal that shook the entire league. The Clippers sent Bledsoe, Winslow and Johnson three players and the 2025 second-round pick from the Pistons, bringing guard Powell and forward Covington from the Blazers. After such a deal was reached, many fans believed that the Clippers undoubtedly became the biggest winner in the deal.
The two players sent by the Blazers are very hot players in the league at present, among them, Powell, known as "Bobkovy", has played very well this season, averaging 18.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 40 games for the Blazers, shooting 45.6% from the field and 40.6% from three-point range, and is extremely efficient on the offensive end. Although Covington has only averaged 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game this season, his defensive ability is still at the top level of the league among forward players.
The three players sent by the Clippers have not been too good this season, including Bledsoe, who has played in 54 games for the Clippers this season, averaging 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, shooting 42.1 percent and 31.3 percent from the field. Winslow has averaged a career-low 4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists this season, and his three-point shooting percentage is only a pitiful 17.2%. Rookie Johnson averaged just 3.5 points and 0.9 assists per game this season, shooting just 33.3 percent from the field.
Although on the surface the Clippers' three players could not be easily exchanged for Powell and Covington in terms of strength, in fact, the deal was both sides taking what they needed. For the Blazers, freeing up salary space is undoubtedly the most important purpose. So far this season, the Blazers have had a disappointing season and are currently only tenth in the West. With Lillard going to be absent due to injury, the Blazers have largely given up on this season, and their main goal for now is to avoid paying too much luxury tax.
The reason why they chose to trade Covington and Powell is partly because the growth of Anfenni Simmons in the team this season has given the Blazers hope for the future, and the team has a new core of the team. On the other hand, while the two players are still doing very well so far, they are also saddled with big contracts, including Powell's current contract of $90 million for 5 years and Covington's current contract for 4 years and $46.88 million. Upon completion of the deal, the Trail Blazers' total salary for the season will be below the luxury tax line and will create a $6.5 million deal exception.
For the Clippers, they need players who can contribute on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends to pair with George and Leonard to strive for better results this season and beyond. In the game so far this season, although Leonard and George have been missing for a long time, the Clippers still stubbornly rank eighth in the West with the play of many role players. At the time of George's comeback, the Clippers are no longer satisfied with their current record, and they hope to hit a better result this season.
So they targeted the Blazers' Powell and Covington. The former will undoubtedly be an important scoring point for the Clippers, and even after the return of George and Leonard, he can well share the pressure on the offensive end of the two cores. At key moments, Powell, who has a strong scoring ability, will also be an important choice for the Clippers. In short, after getting Powell, the Clippers' offensive firepower will go further. Covington, on the other hand, can help the Clippers' defense a lot, and in many cases he can also be the center of the team's small lineup, providing vitality to the team's defense.
After getting these two players, if Leonard and George can return this season, then they will form a horror combination of Jackson + Powell + George + Leonard + Covington, such a lineup will be competitive in the entire league, and even have the potential to impact the championship. Of course, if Leonard can't make a comeback this season, the Future of the Clippers will also be promising, as most of the players in this lineup have not yet expired their contracts, and they only need to decide whether to renew Covington in the offseason. All in all, after getting these two players, the future of the Clippers will be bright.
The only caveat is that after the deal, the Clippers will face high luxury taxes, and their total salary this season will be directly raised from $93.9 million to $112.9 million. Saving money was also one of the Blazers' main purposes for the deal, and the Blazers' general manager explained the motives for the deal in an interview: "Salary flexibility. There's an opportunity to clean up our payroll and create more opportunities for the draft and free agent markets this week and beyond. ”
In the interview, he also said that the team's deal also means that Simmons will become the core player of the team at present and in the future, and their trade is to create a take-off track for him. The team will also have the next move. Judging by the trend so far this season, the Blazers are likely to have trades for their core players for the rest of the season, and McCollum is likely to be the next target to be traded. And if the next operations can't satisfy Lillard, then he is likely to choose to apply for a departure. In conclusion, the next operation is crucial for the Trailblazers.
For the players involved in the deal, the deal will also be an important turning point in their careers. From previous careers, Powell and Covington are both plug-and-play players, both at the peak of their careers. It is foreseeable that they will have a lot of contributions after they reach the Clippers. The Blazers also said that Bledsoe and three other players will play for the team this season after joining the team. In any case, the current transaction has become a foregone conclusion, and how to take the road of the future is the key.