Toronto Raptors: 3 players most likely to be traded in 2018-19
3. Norman Powell
At this moment, the Raptors have too many guards and not enough minutes to go around. Someone needs to be removed from the equation, but who seems most likely to go?
Norman Powell is a safe bet, for several reasons.
First, the aforementioned logjam. Powell is exclusively a shooting guard, leaving little flexibility to plug him in at the other positions to get minutes. However, with Danny Green, Fred VanVleet and C.J. Miles all capable of seeing minutes at the 2, there won’t be much more than crumbs for Powell to pick up.
He struggled a season ago to work his way into the rotation. It’s only going to be more difficult in 2018-19. So instead of letting his talents waste away on the bench, why not move him to help facilitate a deal that gets one of Toronto’s massive contracts off the books? Apparently, that’s the focus for this front office right now.
Several opposing executives say the Toronto Raptors remain motivated to shed salary via trade following the Kawhi Leonard deal earlier this week.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 20, 2018
Powell is an exceptional shooter who can absolutely make an impact for a team in need of a consistent scoring threat off the bench. If they can find a team willing to take on a big-money deal, Powell could be used as a sweetener.
The $9.3 million he’s owed in 2018-19 may cause some wariness. And yet, his relative youth (25 years old) and sharpshooting skills make him an intriguing trade piece.