Trail Blazers, Clippers make 5-player deal
The Portland Trail Blazers traded Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers Friday for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, rookie Keon Johnson and a second-round pick in 2025.
The trade, coming just less than a week before the NBA’s trade deadline, moved the Trail Blazers under the luxury-taxthreshold.
Both teams are in danger of having to go through the playin tournament to get to the playoffs.
The Clippers have won two of their past three to even their record at 27-27. They have a 1.5-game lead over the Lakers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference, but trail Denver by 2.5 games for the sixth seed, which would avoid having to take part in theplay-in tournament.
The Trail Blazers are 21-31 and in 10th place heading into their game Friday night againstOklahoma City.
LosAngeles has floundered most of the season due to injuries to All Stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. George has missed the past 22 games due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his shooting elbow. Coach Ty Lue said an MRI is scheduled for George’s on Feb. 24 to determine if it is healing or whether he will needseason-ending surgery.
The Clippers are 10-12 with George out of the lineup. Their next game is Sunday at homeagainst Milwaukee.
“I hope he’s feeling good. Just something to look forward to. Hope is stronger than fear,” Lue said Thursday night after the Clippers’ 111110victory over the Lakers.
The addition of Powell should help during George’s absence. Powell has averaged 18.7 points this season, helping the Blazers weather injuries and protocol absences. The six-year veteran came to Portland last year in a trade with Toronto but returns to Southern California. He grew up in San Diego and attended UCLA.
Lue was less optimistic aboutLeonard, admitting that he is unlikely to return this year. Leonard suffered a torn ACL during Game 4 of the Western Conference playoff seriesagainst Utah in June.
“We know Kawhi’s probablynot going to come back, we don’t know the status of PG, but these guys continue to keepfighting. ... ”
The Blazers also are dealing with the absence of a key player in six-time All-Star Damian Lillard, who had abdominalsurgery in January.