WOJ: Blazers trade Powell, Covington to LA Clippers for Bledsoe, Winslow, more

The Portland Trail Blazers are officially sellers.  Well, at least as the roster is concerned.

Still with a week to go to the NBA trade deadline (Feb. 10th), the Blazers have agreed on a trade with the LA Clippers that sends Norman Powell and Robert Covington to Los Angeles for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a future second-round draft pick.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the breaking news.

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

Powell, 28, was acquired by Portland at the trade deadline last season.  In 67 games with the Blazers (66 starts), he averaged 18 points a game, shot 38.8% from 3-pt range, with 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals a contest.

Covington, 31, came to Portland via trade with Houston prior to the 2020-21 season.  In 118 games as a Blazer (110 starts), he averaged 8.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks a game, while shooting 36.5 % from three-point range.

Bledsoe, 32, is in his 12th NBA season, and his second stint with the Clippers after landing there on draft day in the 2010 NBA Draft, 18th overall out of Kentucky.  In 54 games this season (29 starts), Bledsoe 9.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals a game, while shooting 31.3 % from beyond the arc.

Bledsoe is on an expiring contract, and could be moved again before the deadline next week.

Winslow, 25, was the 10th overall pick to Miami in the 2015 NBA Draft.  In his first season with the Clippers, Winslow has averaged 4.2 points. 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in about 13 minutes played per game.  He is shooting 17.2% from the three-point arc.

Winslow is in the first of a two-year contract signed with the Clippers last offseason.

Johnson, 19, was drafted 21st overall by the New York Knicks in last year’s draft, and was traded to the Clippers.  In his rookie season, Johnson has seen action in fifteen games, and has averaged 3.5 points a game.  He is a 6′ 5″ guard.

Woj notes the future pick Portland is getting in the deal is a 2025 second round pick from Los Angeles via the Detroit Pistons.

The move also brings Portland under the luxury tax, per Woj.

The Clippers are 27-27 as of this trade, currently the eight-seed in the Western Conference.

The Blazers currently sit as the ten-seed, the final play-in spot, in the Western Conference as of this reported trade, with a 21-31 record.

More to come.