The Toronto Raptors traded Norman Powell for Rodney Hood and Gary Trent Jr. in 2021.
The Raptors wanted to trade Powell for a younger player who would give them the same type of production. Trent Jr. so far has done a great job in Toronto and his numbers are similar to what Powell had in his final seasons with the Raptors.
Meanwhile, Powell has had a good stint with the Los Angeles Clippers. Even though he plays for L.A. he still has Toronto in his heart.
He appeared in an interview with Michael Flix on his YouTube Channel and said that it “hurt” when the Raptors traded him and he never wanted to leave.
Powell also believes that a core of him, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby could have been as good as the Boston Celtics are now:
“I didn’t want to leave Toronto. I wanted to stay. The core that we had with Fred, Pascal, OG, me could’ve been what Boston Celtics are today.”
– Norman Powell
(h/t @BasketballOnX )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 2, 2023
Powell was a big piece for the Raptors from off the bench in 2019 when they won the championship and he was a fan favourite in Toronto.
Norman Powell’s tenure with the Raptors
In the first four years with the Raptors, Powell had a very limited role. He was only averaging 9.9 points per game.
However, once his minutes increased for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons, his numbers drastically increased. Powell put up 17.5 points per game over that span.
Overall, Powell had a memorable career with the Raptors. He provided an energy boost for the team from off the bench. And after Kawhi Leonard left Toronto, Powell helped the Raptors remain competitive in the Eastern Conference the following season.
Powell’s idea that the Raptors could’ve become what Boston is now had he not been traded is debatable, however it’s admirable that he still has a great level of respect for Toronto even after all of these years.
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