Well, the most discussed/rumored trade in recent Clippers history finally happened, as the Clippers traded Norm Powell to the Heat, sent their 2027 second round pick to the Utah Jazz, and received John Collins from Utah. Collins has been mentioned as a Clippers target for years, and he is now at last on his way to Los Angeles.

From a roster perspective, this move makes quite a bit of sense for the Clippers. The reason Collins has been a name that has come up so frequently is because he is a large, athletic power forward that can play small-ball center, and the Clippers have all too frequently been small, old, and unathletic in the past five years. Collins does not fix those issues, but he goes a ways towards addressing them in the short term.

The West is just getting bigger. The Thunder play with two bigs a lot, the Rockets added a center and multiple large forwards this offseason, the Timberwolves kept their two key big men, and the Nuggets traded for Jonas Valanciunas. The Clippers really needed to add more size to the roster, and shifting from a small guard in Norm to a large forward in Collins will help them deal with those larger, physical teams in the West.

Collins has been around for a while, so I don’t think I need to provide a ton of in-depth analysis on his game, but he’s coming off probably the second-best season of his career, averaging 19 points, 8.2 rebounds, and a steal and a block for the (admittedly tanking) Jazz while shooting 52.7% from the field and 39.9% from three (3.7 attempts per game). He’s shot well in general the past two years, seemingly course correcting from his awful shooting season in 2023 (when his finger was messed up). He’s still not a high-volume shooter for a forward, but he can space the floor for Ivica Zubac at least a bit. His main addition, however, will be as an above-the-rim finisher for James Harden and as a support on the glass and back line defensively.

Right now, the current Clippers’ starting lineup would seem to be James Harden, Kris Dunn, Kawhi Leonard, Collins, and Ivica Zubac, with a bench of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Derrick Jones Jr., Nic Batum, and Brook Lopez. All of a sudden, after seeming so guard heavy for so many years, with Norm gone and Amir Coffey gone, the Clippers now could use another guard, preferably one who provides shooting and ball handling. I do think the Collins trade therefore increases the likelihood of Bradley Beal ending up a Clipper – he’d likely replace Dunn in that starting unit and enable the Clippers to keep Collins in the starting role or shift in Derrick Jones Jr. However, adding a bench guard like Chris Paul or Malcolm Brogdon would make sense as well.

This move also checks boxes from a long-term perspective. Norm was looking for an extension, and it was clear the Clippers did not want to give him a deal that would conflict with their ability to get to cap space in 2027 (or even next summer). It therefore made sense for both sides to move on, with the Clippers now able to evaluate Collins and see how he fares before he fits free agency next summer.

As for Norm, he gets to go to a Miami Heat team that prizes the work ethic that he consistently displays, and will play a big role on a team that doesn’t have much in the way of scoring. Norm was highly productive for the Clippers in his 3+ years on the team, and his career year in 2025 was a significant reason for the Clippers’ overperformance that season. Alas, he ended his Clippers’ career on a bit of a sour note against the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, and it’s hard not to think that the Clippers being so physically outmatched against Denver played a part in the Clippers making this deal. I’ll be rooting for Norm going forward; he played hard, helped bridge the gap between 213 and the new era of Clippers’ ball, and had some very memorable performances as a Clipper.

I don’t think the Clippers are done yet – they will almost certainly add a guard of some kind in the coming days. For now, welcome John Collins!

Clippers Trade Norm Powell for John Collins
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2025 Clippers continues with a look at Norm Powell, the Clippers’ starting shooting guard.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3

Weight: 215 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 31 (turns 32 next week)

Years in NBA: 10

Key Regular Stats (for Clippers): 21.8 points, 2.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 turnovers in 32.6 minutes per game across 60 games played (all starts) on 48.4/41.8/80.4 (7.1 3PT attempts, 4.4 FT attempts) shooting splits (61.5 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 16 points, 2.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 turnovers in 34 minutes per game across 7 games played (all starts) on 47.2/35.0/77.8 (5.7 3PT attempts, 2.6 FT attempts) shooting splits (57.8 True Shooting)

Expectations

Coming into the season, it was expected that Norm Powell would once again fulfill the 6^th man role he’d held on the Clippers his first 2.5 years with the team. After all, he’d started just 13 of his 141 regular season games with the Clippers, and the Clips added Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, and Nic Batum in free agency as well as gave a large extension to Terance Mann. Norm providing his usual scoring punch off the bench while the Clippers surrounded James Harden and Ivica Zubac with defense-first role players seemed to be the logical step.

Reality

Those expectations were almost immediately obliterated in training camp, when it was reported Norm was running away with the starting shooting guard role. Sure enough, when the season started, Norm was in the starting lineup – and he remained there the entire season. In fact, this was the first season of Norm’s career where he started every game he played. Norm was a rock in that unit all season, providing shooting and off-ball play to support the Clippers’ base play of the Harden-Zu pick and roll.

Norm, in fact, had a mostly incredible regular season. He set a career high in scoring, tied career highs in assists and steals, and was just a hair shy of his career-best in rebounding. Norm’s three-point shooting was, as always, fantastic, with his close to 42% on high volume providing essential spacing for the Clippers’ shaky offensive attack. He was more decisive in attacking close-outs, going straight to the rim instead of pulling up from midrange or trying to bait free throws. The passing and playmaking were still below average, but showed flashes of being better than years prior. Even the defense, was, for the first half of the season, improved – though still not great. In the absence of Kawhi Leonard, Norm was the Clippers’ second banana on offense, and he did an admirable job in keeping the team afloat. There was even a credible case he should make the All-Star Game.

Unfortunately, Norm missed a large chunk of February and March due to injury, and when he came back, he was not nearly as effective. Some of that was on Norm missing shots and being rusty, but a lot of it had to do with the Clippers becoming a different team during his month-long absence, with Kawhi taking up a bigger mantle and Zu turning into a true third option. When Norm returned, he was indecisive, not fully adjusting to his new role as more of the 4^th option instead of the 2^nd option which he’d been for the first 50 games of the season. In March and April, Norm averaged just 14.4 points per game on sub-par efficiency.

Even worse, that poor play carried over into the playoffs. Norm was excellent in the Clippers’ three home games, but was abysmal in the four road games, and his poor play was a huge reason the Clippers lost in the first round. Norm was outmatched physically by the larger, more athletic Nuggets, and his defense and rebounding were massive issues that the Nuggets exploited. Norm’s scoring, his bedrock, not translating to the playoffs made his lack of contributions in other areas all the more glaring. It was a tough, tough end to the season for Norm, who’d been such a key element for the Clippers all year.

Future with Clippers

Norm has just one year left on his 5 year, $90M deal that he was signed to by the Blazers back in 2021. The fact that he’s an expiring deal, along with his age and the Clippers’ uncertain near-term and medium-term future, makes him a ripe trade candidate. The Clippers said at the end of the season they would talk with Norm on an extension, and I’m sure conversations will happen. However, Norm will probably want multiple years to add on to his current deal, and I just don’t see the Clippers giving him those years considering they want to clear their books for the summers of 2026 and 2027 for free agency.

That said, despite all their talks and the rumors about free agency, stars rarely change teams in free agency anymore. The only star who did last summer was Paul George… and we all saw how that turned out. Getting cap space to enable more flexibility and the ability to take on money in exchange for picks or prospects is a good thing for a team that might need to enter a rebuild at some point, but the Clippers don’t seem particularly interested in a rebuild even if they did have their picks. I do wonder if a medium-sized, two-year extension for Norm gives the Clippers a movable salary for trades – which is how stars actually go between teams in the modern NBA. The danger, of course, is that Norm slips from his career 2025 season, and a seemingly reasonable extension immediately looks like a bad deal.

Ultimately, this is the summer I think it’s most likely Norm gets traded since he’s been a Clipper. If the Clippers are going to make almost any major move, Norm’s deal is close to necessary to make it happen. While he’s had a good run with the Clippers, and I don’t think the team will trade him just to trade him, I do think further roster adjustments need to happen, and the Clippers getting bigger, younger, and more athletic is a must. With that thinking, trading a small, aging guard makes some sense. Still, it’s not like Norm is a lock to get moved, and there’s every chance he is on the Clippers to start the 2026 season.

2025 Clippers Exit Interviews: Norm Powell
Robert Flom

Our player preview series for the 2025 Clippers continues with Norman Powell, the Clippers’ veteran 6^th man.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3

Weight: 215 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 31

Years in NBA: 9

Regular Season Stats: 13.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.9 turnovers in 26.2 minutes per game across 76 games played (3 starts) on 48.6/43.5/83.1 shooting splits with 62.6% TS

Playoff Stats: 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.2 turnovers in 29.8 minutes per game across 6 games played (0 starts) on 42.6/44.8/80.0 shooting splits with 57% TS

Contract Status: Two years left on a 5 year, $90M extension, $19.2M this season

Expectations

After two seasons of clear expectations as the Clippers’ sixth man, things are a bit different for Powell this season. With Paul George gone, the starting shooting guard spot is technically open. Terance Mann is probably the leader for the role because of his defense and ability to “do the little things”, but Mann and Derrick Jones Jr. could be too punchless on offense. In could come Powell as the starter, who would provide incredible spacing for Harden-Zu pick and rolls – but also another target on defense. I suspect Powell will continue to be the 6^th man, but I’d expect his minutes and shots to go up this year.

Strengths

Norm’s biggest strength at this point in his career is his outside shooting. While he’s not a super high-volume off-ball shooter like Klay Thompson, Buddy Hield, or Desmond Bane, he took 5.1 threes per game last season and made them at 43.5%. He’s lights-out on catch and shoot attempts, and while he’s not as adept as a Klay, JJ Redick, or Kyle Korver in running off screens, he does add that element on offense. Guys who are as deadly at shooting as Norm also just help spacing whenever they’re on the court, as defenses are afraid to help off him and will close out hard whenever he’s open.

Norm isn’t just a three-point shooter though. In fact, only half of his shots came from deep (which was the highest three-point rate of his career). Norm is an old-school, three-level scorer, who can get all the way to the rim and finish, drive to six feet out for a floater, or take a dribble pull-up in the midrange. Norm’s shooting unlocks his driving game – he does not have an advanced handle, but because teams close out hard and he’s quick, he’s usually able to create easy looks for himself on drives. Thus, at least as a scorer, Norm is a pretty comprehensive player. He usually can’t crate much for himself one-on-one on the perimeter due to the lack of handle, but that’s fine for what the Clippers need from him.

Weaknesses

As I wrote last year, the weaknesses in Norm’s game are everything outside of pure scoring. He’s an abysmal rebounder (total rebound rate of 5.5% was worst on the Clippers last year), a poor playmaker for a guard (assist rate of 5.9% was ahead of just PJ Tucker and Brandon Boston last year), and a bad defender. All of that adds up to a player who really doesn’t provide much value when the shot isn’t falling, which for Norm, thankfully, isn’t all that frequently. Still, that makes him a guy who I’d greatly prefer to keep off the bench in a 25-28 minute per game role.

Another thing to note is that Norm’s free throw rate plummeted last season, partially because he was getting so many easy threes, but partially because the NBA changed the way they called fouls and it negatively impacted Norm’s game. If the NBA remains strict on rules allowing for greater physicality, a big part of Norm’s offensive efficiency will be gone. This will just be something to note for Norm (and Harden for that matter) early in the season.

Summary

Norm Powell is all set to be the Clippers’ sixth man for the third season in a row. However, with his contract winding down (just two seasons left), the new CBA making his deal a little less pricy, and the Clippers’ roster potentially in transition, Powell is more likely to be traded than in previous seasons. If the Clippers are not having a good season but Powell is playing well and healthy, getting some positive value (in picks or younger players) at the trade deadline could be a smart value play. In the meantime, Norm will be getting buckets for the Clippers to try to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Clippers 2024-2025 Player Preview: Norman Powell
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2024 Clippers moves forward with the team’s sixth man, Norm Powell.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3

Weight: 215 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 31

Years in NBA: 9

Key Regular Stats (for Clippers): 13.9 points, 1.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 0.9 turnovers in 26.2 minutes per game across 76 games played (3 starts) on 48.6/43.5/83.1 (5.1 3PT attempts, 2.3 FT attempts) shooting splits (62.6 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 12.8 points, 0.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 0.5 steals, and 1.2 turnovers in 29.8 minutes per game across 6 games played (0 starts) on 42.6/44.8/80.0 (4.8 3PT attempts, 2.5 FT attempts) shooting splits (57 True Shooting)

Expectations

Norman Powell’s expectations for the 2024 season were clear: be the Clippers’ sixth man. After a strong 2023 season, it was expected that Norm would turn in a similar campaign in 2024, scoring in the mid-to-high teens on great efficiency while playing minutes in the mid-to-high twenties. At this point in Norm’s career, past age 30, any hopes of improvement to weaknesses such as playmaking, rebounding, or defending were more or less pipedreams, so there was less chance of disappointment.

Reality

Norm squarely met those expectations, providing a consistent scoring presence while scoring at a career-high efficiency. His ability to space the floor and attack closeouts not only stabilized the bench but also assisted the Clippers’ stars players. In fact, the “Powell Rangers” unit featuring Norm with the starters instead of Terance Mann was the best Clippers’ unit of any that received significant playing time, logging an 18.4 Net Rating in 121 minutes across 28 games (it’s somewhat inexcusable it didn’t play more). Norm was lights out from the corners and played well off-ball, making up for his significant dip in free throw rate as the referees called the game differently.

It also must be said that on a team of unreliable and inconsistent performers, Norm’s steadiness stood out. Norm played in 76 games, the most on the Clippers, and while he had bad games like everyone else, he didn’t have prolonged stretches as underwhelming as Paul George, James Harden, or even someone like Terance Mann. He showed up to do his job every game and did it, even if you can quibble about how impactful that job was. Norm, as always, did not supply rebounding, playmaking, or positive defense, and that lack of “other stuff” made his rare bad scoring games stand out more.

Norm’s playoffs, like for most of the Clippers, was not as positive. He was awful in Games 1 and 2, contributing just five and six points respectively on a combined 4-16 shooting. Norm was better for the rest of the series but had his two best performances in Games 3 and 6, which the Mavs won easily, and was only “fine” in Games 4 and 5. Overall, while Norm played hard and had his moments, it was not his finest series, and the Mavs’ length and size really deterred him from getting to his preferred spots.

It was another fine season for Norm, whose scoring, shooting, and ability to get downhill were all important for the Clippers. The Clippers would not have won quite a few of the games they did without Norm’s contributions, and in the aggregate, he was absolutely a positive performer. Whether the Clippers should be as reliant on a player as one-dimensional as Norm is another matter, but he did his job and did it well.

Future with Clippers

Norm Powell is currently one of three Clippers (the other two being Kawhi Leonard and Kobe Brown) with money on the books after the 2025 season. He has two years and around $39.7M left on his contract. Under the new CBA, that dollar amount looks better than it did two years ago – but Powell is also 31 now and clearly a bench player.

Powell remains extremely well-liked by his teammates and has been a positive contributor for the Clippers over his two-plus seasons with the club. The Clippers don’t seem to be in any hurry to move on from him. That said, the Clippers will likely be in the second apron should they bring back Paul George and James Harden on non-team-friendly deals. In that scenario, Norm definitely stands as someone who could be traded to help the Clippers stay under that punishing second apron.

The Clippers shouldn’t just dump Powell. He’s too important to their team for that. But if they can somehow find a way to get younger, cheaper, and bigger/more athletic, they should probably do so. That’s asking a lot, but that’s fine. With Norm’s deal entering the back half of the contract, his value should only climb as the dollar amount decreases. Even if the Clippers don’t move him over the summer, they could very easily trade him at the deadline.

I think it’s still more likely than not that Powell returns to the Clippers as their sixth man, but the likelihood of him getting traded is higher than it was last offseason.

Clippers 2024 Exit Interview: Norm Powell
Robert Flom

Our player preview series for the 2024 Clippers season continues with Norman Powell, the Clippers’ veteran 6^th man and reserve shooting guard.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3

Weight: 215 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 30

Years in NBA: 8

Key Stats: 17.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.7 turnovers in 26.1 minutes per game across 60 games played (8 starts) on 47.9/39.7/81.2 shooting splits with 61.2% TS in regular season

Contract Status: Three years left on a 5 year, $90M extension, $18M this season

Expectations

Norman Powell might have the clearest role on the 2024 Clippers outside of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, especially with no Eric Gordon or Luke Kennard on the roster this season. He is going to be the Clippers’ 6^th man, playing 25 to 30+ minutes per game in most contests, and is a designated scorer and shooter with limited other responsibilities. While availability was a factor last year, with Powell missing 22 games, he otherwise turned in exactly what was expected of him after a slow start. Really, if he can more or less duplicate his 2023 season, but with more games played (ideally 70+, though Norm has always been injury-prone), he will be giving the Clippers what they need of him.

Strengths

For the Clippers, Norm Powell’s best attribute is his downhill scoring ability. He was third on the 2023 Clippers with an average of 4.8 free throw attempts per game, and his free throw rate was the highest of any rotation perimeter player by a wide margin. He’s extremely quick slashing to the rim and has the strength to power through defenders to earn free throws, which were desperately needed by the Clippers, who are a jump shot heavy team. Additionally, 24.1% of Norm’s shots came at the rim, third-highest among perimeter players behind Russell Westbrook and Terance Mann, and he’s a good finisher once he gets there. The Clippers lack of juice has been an issue on offense in the last few years, and Norm is a good remedy for that.

Norm is an excellent three-point shooter, making 39.7% of his shots from deep last year on 4.8 attempts per game, which isn’t super high volume, but is not low either. For his career he’s a 38.6% shooter from deep, but that goes much higher when removing his first three seasons, when he was a poor shooter on low volume. Most of Norm’s threes (87.7%) are assisted, meaning off the catch or move, but he can take them off the dribble when defenders sag off him. Most importantly, he has enough of a sample size to have the reputation as a good shooter, and is thus guarded closely at long range, creating spacing. He doesn’t move off-ball like Luke Kennard did, but he’s still a useful floor spacer and off-ball shooter.

Finally, while Norm is not an on-ball menace, he’s usually decent when guarding opposing ball-handlers, especially if they’re relatively in his size range (he can struggle against smaller, quicker guards). He has the stoutness and wingspan to at least contest shots and body up larger wings, making him capable of switching positions defensively, a boon in the Clippers’ switch-heavy schemes.

Weaknesses

By far Norm’s biggest weakness is his lack of playmaking. Despite his total scoring package, he’s not an adept creator for others, averaging just 1.8 assists, or tied for 9^th on the team among rotation players despite ranking 3^rd in scoring and 5^th in usage. While not super turnover prone, his assist to turnover ratio barely clears 1, which is very much not ideal. Norm is a head-down kind of player, who while not a ball hog, simply does not look to create for teammates frequently and hasn’t flashed much in actual passing acumen when he does. Unlike Clippers’ 6^th man comparison Lou Williams, Norm is not remotely capable of running an offense – he’s a play finisher, not a starter. That makes his utility on offense limited even with his scoring on- and off-ball.

Norm is also an anemic rebounder, grabbing just 2.9 boards in his more than 26 minutes per game. That translated to 5.5 rebounds per 100 possessions, the fourth lowest on the team (ahead of Amir, Reggie, and Eric Gordon). Similarly, his total rebound percentage of 6.4% was fourth lowest as well, with those same three behind him. Rebounding isn’t a necessity for a shooting guard, but it’s always a helpful skill, and the Clippers’ non-big men being mostly awful rebounders last year was a big reason their small-ball units didn’t work. Russell Westbrook is a big plus in that regard, and more of Terance Mann, Paul George, and Kawhi should help too. Hopefully Norm is one of the only bad rebounders this year and his weakness can be papered over.

Despite what I said above about his on-ball defense, in actuality, despite his reputation, Norm is a well below-average defensive player. This is because he’s very poor off-ball and in help, regularly getting confused on assignments and not making it well through screens. The Clippers’ defense was worse than expected last year, and was downright bad in the second half of the season, and Norm was a reason why. He’s not as obviously bad as Trae Young on the perimeter or say Moses Brown as a rim protector, but all advanced metrics paint him as a real negative on that end.

Summary

Unless Norman Powell is moved in a Harden deal (unlikely), he is one of the more likely Clippers to play on the team the entirety of the 2024 season. His contract is not valued around the league, and while Norm clearly has his uses, he’s also a bench player at this point in his career. He also provides something the Clippers need – downhill juice and off-ball three-point shooting – and is good friends with the Clippers’ two best players. If all goes well, Norm will play a key role for the Clippers as a bench scorer who can up his usage when one of Russ, PG, or Kawhi is out and contribute to a deep playoff run.

Clippers 2023-2024 Season Preview: Norman Powell
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series of the 2023 Clippers continues with an examination of 6th man Norman Powell.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3

Weight: 215 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 29 (30 in three weeks)

Years in NBA: 8

Key Regular Stats (for Clippers): 17.0 points, 1.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 1.7 turnovers in 26.1 minutes per game across 60 games played (8 starts) on 47.9/39.7/81.2 (4.6 FTA attempts) shooting splits (61.2 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 21.8 points, 2.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 1.6 turnovers in 33.4 minutes per game across 5 games played (3 starts) on 47.4/40.6/77.4 (6.2 FTA attempts) shooting splits (60.8 True Shooting)

Expectations

Norman Powell had maybe the clearest expectations on the team after Kawhi Leonard and Paul George: be the Clippers’ 6^th man and their third-leading scorer. Powell played just five regular season games for the Clippers in the 2022 season due to injury shortly after he was traded to the team, but he quickly won fans over with his aggressive scoring and downhill play. He was expected to play in the mid-20s to lower-30s in minutes, score at least 15 points per game on good efficiency, and close games on a semi-frequent basis to provide more “juice” next to Kawhi and PG.

Coming into the season at age 29, there was not really much thought that Norm would make any kind of a leap, whether improving on his strengths or mitigating his weaknesses (rebounding, playmaking, defense). Instead, it was thought that Norm would give the Clippers similar production to what he’d done the past couple years, and maybe be a bit more efficient due to playing next to Kawhi and PG.

Reality

Norman Powell, much like most of the rest of the Clippers, had a miserable start to the season. In seven games in October, he averaged just 10.9 points on horrendous 45% True Shooting while coughing up 18 turnovers to 11 assists. Rough stuff for Norm, who also started five of those games because of Kawhi coming off the bench (and then promptly missing a month of time).

Fortunately, outside of three games in March where he was coming off of injury and adjusting to a bunch of new teammates, Norman Powell was one of the only players on the 2023 Clippers who actually met if not exceeded expectations. In every other month, Norm averaged at least 16.7 points per game on at least 60.6% True Shooting – excellent volume scoring for a bench player on fantastic efficiency. That Norm was so efficient scoring on by far the highest usage rate (26%) of his career and with the highest per 36 averages of his career (23.4 points) speaks to how effective he was. Norm hit close to 40% from three on good volume (4.8 attempts), averaged the third-most free throws (behind Kawhi and PG), and got to the line at the highest rate of any non big man. In short, he provided diverse, efficient, volume scoring for a team that needed it.

As expected, Norman Powell did not contribute a ton else besides scoring for the 2023 Clippers. His 1.8 assists per game were tied for 10^th on the team alongside Marcus Morris, which, considering his usage rate, is very low. Powell also chipped in just 2.5 rebounds per game, with a higher rebounding rate than just Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson among rotation players (all are pitiful rebounders). Defensively, despite his reputation, Powell was below average for the Clippers, as could have been expected after his performance the past couple years. He’s not awful on that end, but a lack of attention to detail off-ball and sheer lack of size (despite his ballyhooed wingspan) on-ball makes him someone who doesn’t offer a whole lot on that end. Still, considering all the scoring, the lack of other stuff isn’t a dealbreaker.

Norman Powell had a mixed bag for the Clippers in the 2023 playoffs. Sure, his averages look great, but they were heavily weighted by his insane, 42 point on 15-23 shooting outing in Game 3. That obviously counts, and he nearly got the Clippers the win, but the rest of his postseason was less extraordinary, with a very good Game 5, poor Game 4, and fine Games 1 and 2. On the whole, Norm was decent, certainly not the Clippers’ issue in the series, but more inconsistent than you’d like. Of course, he was the 2^nd option instead of the 4^th, so it makes sense, and it’s hard to hold that against him in any way.

Future with Clippers

Norman Powell is, somewhat surprisingly, the current Clipper under contract for the longest distance in the future, as he’s signed through the 2025-2026 season on fully guaranteed money. Three years and $57.7M for a sixth man in his early 30s is probably not a great contract (it’s not an awful one either), so I’d guess Norm has fairly neutral trade value. Considering his friendship with both Clippers’ stars and his usefulness as a downhill scorer, he almost certainly has more value to the Clippers than to other teams. Therefore, while I don’t think Norm is a stone cold lock to be on the team next year, I would put him as one of the likelier guys to return to the Clippers after what should be a busy summer.

2023 Clippers Exit Interview: Norman Powell
Robert Flom

Our 2022-2023 player season preview series continues with Norman Powell, perhaps the one player best suited to being the consistent third scoring option.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3

Weight: 215 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward

Age: 29

Years in NBA: 7

Key Stats: 21.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists in 25.0 minutes per game over 5 games played with shooting splits of 50.8/54.2/85.7.

Contract Status: Second year of a five year, $90 million contract paying $16,758,621 this season.

Expectations

When Norman Powell was first traded to the Clippers, there was a lot of positive reaction from the fan base. He’s become one of the more underrated players in the league having made a major impact at his last two stops in Toronto and Portland, although he’s sometimes rarely mentioned.

He’s been a good player on both ends of the court and his arrival gave the Clippers a solid third scoring option behind their two stars. Unfortunately, he was hit with the injury bug and was only able to suit up in five games for the team last season. Even so, he put up strong scoring numbers, showing the type of player the team knew he could be when they traded for him.

This season, with a full training camp under his belt and being healthy, the main expectation is that he’ll provide consistent offense, most likely off the bench, while being counted on to help stop opposing perimeter players.

Strengths

Powell has become one of the better three-point shooters in the league. He’s a career 38.4 percent shooter from distance, and last season after the trade he managed 54.2 percent albeit in a limited sample size. He’s a good shooter off the catch and will certainly see his share of open looks feeding off Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Powell is also a capable ball-handler and has a strong slashing game. The ability to consistently break down the defense and get to the basket is something the Clippers have needed outside Leonard and George, and Powell is capable of doing so. He managed to get to the free-throw line around seven times after the trade. While that was a limited sample, he did average around five attempts per game, a then career-best, while in Portland during the first half of the season. He can put pressure on the defense off the dribble and he’s able to get a favorable whistle.

Defensively, Powell is quick and strong and uses his strength to his advantage when he’s tasked with guarding bigger wings as he’s often asked to do. He has a long wingspan that helps him as well.

Weaknesses

Decision making can be a bit of issue for Powell. He’s not quite the playmaker you might expect him to be as a two guard and he sometimes has the tendency to take some ill-advised shots. It shouldn’t be too much of an issue, however, considering he’d be playing alongside either Reggie Jackson or John Wall with the second unit who are both capable playmakers.

In some matchups, Powell’s size may hamper him defensively, but thankfully for him the Clippers have no shortage of capable wing defenders for whatever matchup they find themselves up against.

Summary

If Powell can even come close to replicating his production from the five games he played in, he could prove to be the best third scorer the Clippers have had in the Leonard/George era. His combination of skills is incredibly valuable to the Clippers and will go a long way towards their championship aspirations.

Having a full training camp under his belt should help Powell and he fits right in with the versatile interchangeability this team has on both ends of the court.

Clippers 2022-2023 Season Preview: Norman Powell
David Yapkowitz

When the Los Angeles Clippers traded for Norman Powell this past February, they knew they were getting a dynamic offensive player who could also keep his matchup in check on the defensive end. The move was just as much about last season as it was about this upcoming one.

The prevailing thought was that Powell would fit in seamlessly alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George while in the meantime providing some much-needed scoring relief as the two stars continued to rehab from injury. Unfortunately for Powell and the Clippers, he suffered a left foot injury after only three games with the team that caused him to miss almost two months.

He ultimately returned to the lineup for the final couple of games of the regular season as well as the Clippers’ two play-in games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New Orleans Pelicans. Although Powell only played a total of seven games for the Clippers last season, he liked the fit and believes that he still has a lot of game left to show.

“It’s kind of a tough hill to climb on, only playing for three games and then coming back for the playoffs, it’s tough. I really didn’t get a full chance to show what I bring to the table, just a little bit of a spark there,” Powell told 213 Hoops. “I think I fit into this team real well. My game is versatile, it doesn’t matter what role you put me in. Some nights I’ll be the guy to go score. . .put me in there and I’ll be your go-to guy, your 3&D guy, a guy you need to attack the rim and create something off the dribble, my game fits really well when they need a bucket outside of PG and Kawhi.”

In the small sample size from last season, Powell gave a glimpse of the type of player the Clippers envisioned when they traded for him. A former second-round pick of the Toronto Raptors, Powell initially began his NBA career as a 3&D player. He’s steadily improved his game each year to the point where teams can put the ball in his hands and trust him to make plays.

He’s an efficient scorer with career marks of 46.3 percent shooting from the field and 38.4 percent shooting from three-point range. He takes almost five three-point shots per game and in his short time with the Clippers, he shot a career-best 54.2 percent from beyond the arc.

In his final full year with the Raptors during the 2019-20 season, it was the first season in his career that he averaged double-figures in scoring to the tune of 16 points per game. Since then, he’s upped his scoring average in each consecutive season. He was traded the following year from the Raptors to the Portland Trail Blazers and he immediately became a key cog in the Blazers’ offense. He put up 17 points per game during the 2020-21 season in 27 games and during the first half of the 2021-22 season he gave Portland 18.7 points.

With the Clippers, his scoring jumped to a career-high 20 points per game. Part of that was out of necessity due to the Clippers in desperate need of consistent scoring options. But part of that was also a testament to the work Powell has put into his game and the expectations he has for himself.

“My own expectation is to go in there and help the team win in any way possible, I don’t really set goals, each season is so different. I know that I work on improving my weaknesses and go out there and put them on full display in the confines of the team and what they need to win,” Powell said. “The individual stuff will take care of itself. I want to be an All-Star, that’s one thing I do want to be. I go out there and prove that I am one and help this team win. We win and everybody will be able to eat.”

When Powell first arrived in Los Angeles, the Clippers had already formed an identity as a tough, gritty, hard-nosed team that believed they were still in any game no matter what the score may be or how many points they trailed by. To them, the game wasn’t over until it was over. That identity had begun to form in the 2021 season following the disastrous ending to the bubble.

That identity took shape, even more, this season with both Leonard and George on the sidelines. Without their two leading scorers and All-Stars, the Clippers emerged as a scrappy bunch that clawed and scraped their way across the finish line. They had several improbable come-from-behind victories this season, none more impressive than overcoming a 35-point deficit on the road in Washington, trailing by six with 11 seconds remaining, and still finding a way to win the game.

Powell immediately noticed that about this team and it was one of the main reasons why he was so excited to join them.

“This team just plays hard and plays the right way. Ty Lue and his staff got everybody in line and they’re focused on one goal and that’s why they’ve been able to hang around,” Powell said. “Most teams throw in the towel when they get down 20, but they kept fighting, kept believing in one another, kept believing in what Ty Lue was telling them and fought. They continue to grind it out and were able to come back in a lot of games, I think they set the record for most comeback wins in a single NBA season. It’s a testament to the team and they guys and what they’re building.”

As the 2022-23 NBA season inches closer with training camps set to open at the end of September, a healthy Clippers team figures to be one of the favorites to contend for a championship with Powell playing a major role in that endeavor. Powell’s presence on the team is part of what gives the Clippers unrivaled versatility and interchangeability across the board.

This team can play a lot of different styles. They can go big and more traditional with Ivica Zubac as the low post scoring option. They can go small and space the floor with either Nicolas Batum or Marcus Morris Sr. playing some small ball center. They can trot out super defensive lineups with Powell, Leonard, George, Batum, and Robert Covington all in the mix. They can put a bunch of long-range snipers on the floor with Luke Kennard leading the way.

That versatility and depth are some of the main reasons why Powell believes that the Clippers have such a high ceiling once the regular season gets underway.

“There’s so many different lineups we can throw out there offensively and defensively. Small ball, guys who can shoot, shooting lineups, defensive lineups, run and go defensive lineups, there’s just so many different things the coaches can do, it just depends on how they want to fit it,” Powell said. “We got nine, ten guys that can be starters on other teams and to have them all on one team is really big especially throughout the course of the season. We showed last year that with injuries and things, guys can step up and play big minutes, but if everybody is healthy, it’s a real good shot to have a championship.”

Norman Powell Ready for First Full Season in LA
David Yapkowitz

Our staff roundtable grades continue with a look at Norm Powell, the 2022 Clippers’ big mid-season acquisition who played just a handful of games due to injury.

David Mendez-Yapkowitz: Incomplete

It’s just tough to give a grade to Norm Powell considering we only saw him for five games in the 2022 season. There were instances when he looked absolutely incredible and a few times where he looked like he was forcing the issue offensively. Chalk it up to having a limited learning curve with this group. There’s no question though that he brings a much needed skill-set to the team. The Clippers were in desperate need of someone else who could break down the defense off the dribble, someone else who could attack downhill. It was an incredibly small sample size but Norm did shoot 54.2 percent from three with the Clippers. Being a consistent outside threat is something he’s put a lot of work into the last couple of seasons. It’s going to be fun seeing him get a full training camp and season with the Clippers under his belt.

Kenneth Armstrong: B

Norm was pretty good, when he was on the floor, but that obviously was rare. In his five regular season games with the Clippers, he only had one below-50% shooting game, and scored over 16 points each night. In a vacuum, this was exactly what the Clippers needed from Norm. There were a few issues, though. Most importantly, he did not seem integrated in the offense, which is totally understandable given his injury. And, to be fair, it looked great when PG and Norm were on the floor together. Nonetheless, sometimes it felt like he was pressing and, at other times, he would vanish. Hopefully, next year, they can get him into a good rhythm so he knows when to attack and when to spot up. The second issue is that he fouled too much, which contributed to his lack of rhythm because he had to be taken out. 

Shapan Debnath: Incomplete

It’s just tough to give a grade to Norm considering we only saw him for five games. There were instances when he looked absolutely incredible and a few times where he looked like he was forcing the issue offensively. Chalk it up to having a limited learning curve with this group. There’s no question though that he brings a much needed skill-set to the team. The Clippers were in desperate need of someone else who could break down the defense off the dribble, someone else who could attack downhill. It was an incredibly small sample size but Norm did shoot 54.2 percent from three with the Clippers. Being a consistent outside threat is something he’s put a lot of work into the last couple of seasons. It’s going to be fun seeing him get a full training camp and season with the Clippers under his belt.

Lucas Hann: Incomplete

I really have nowhere else to go with this except to throw my hands up in the air and say “I dunno!”  He was fantastic from the jump as a Clipper, including flexing some playmaking chops that we hadn’t seen before, before missing essentially the entire rest of the season with that broken foot.  He came back for a couple of meaningless late-season exhibitions and shot the ball well, but I would bet that if it wasn’t because he needed to get some run in before playing in the Play-In Tournament, he would have been out a little bit longer.  In those Play-In games, his conditioning was clearly off as he was a revolving door on defense and struggled to find his groove offensively alongside teammates he had barely played with before.  I’d give him an A for the regular season and a D for the Play-In Tournament, except I think it’s extreme to assign him that level of praise for very few meaningful minutes and incredibly harsh to hold against him his poor Play-In performances given the context of his health and newness to the team.  So, INC.  Next season will essentially be a fresh start for Norm and the Clippers, and I’m excited for a full season of him.

Randi Geffner: Pass

Norman Powell, what can we say other than you were just a microcosm of the Clippers season, showing great promise and moments of true beauty and then leaving us with that familiar combination of heartbreak, hope, and what ifs?  Given the minimal time he played at all, I think we need to move this one to a pass/fail grade and just give Norm the pass.  From the jump there were some great moments showing promise as a fit with the team, and some solid work in the last week of the season (which was really just fake games against fake teams).  Good numbers in the Timberwolves play-in game, shooting 56% from the field and a hot 60% from deep, but even so it’s probably being a little generous to give a passing grade here simply because it’s such a small sample size.  Having said that, my plan is to celebrate at the parade with Norman in June 2023!

Robert Flom: B-

I don’t have much to add to what people said above, but I’m determined to give grades to everyone, so a grade I will assign. Norm’s injury was not his fault, nor was the result awkwardness on the court between him and his teammates considering how few reps he had with them. Still, while the numbers look good, Norm Powell never fit into the 2022 Clippers this season on offense, and was quite bad on defense (people around the league have told me he’s one of the most overrated defenders in the NBA – we will see). I’ll give him a pass considering the circumstances, and I’m excited to see a healthy Norm Powell next to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard next year.

Cole Huff: Incomplete

How does one even grade a guy who appeared in seven games? I honestly don’t know what his grade is, but I will say that Powell was as good as advertised in his outings. He provided instant and much-needed scoring from every level and did so rather efficiently. He even showed glimpses of playmaking during his earlier games. But one knock on Powell that was glaring is how he fades in second halves, which is understandable given his limited game reps following his injury. And I’m not sure if the injury limited Norm on the defensive end but he looked a step slow on the ball and was very foul prone. 

Nevertheless, Powell’s sample size with the Clippers was small enough for me to stay away from giving him a grade. For what it’s worth, I thought his seven games were encouraging and the Clippers should all be excited for what he brings to the table next season.

Ralston Dacanay: B-

Here’s to hoping we’ve really just scratched the surface with Norman Powell. In the three games Norm Powell played in the 2022 season before he went down with the fractured bone in his left foot, he looked every bit of the godsend he was on paper when the Clips acquired him at the deadline as a sharp shot-maker and an elite foul-drawer. It was awesome that he was able to eventually return, but his defense, as to be expected, was less than ideal in the Play-In Tournament. Overall, I’m excited to see where his ceiling lies with LAC especially since he mentioned that he wants to be an All-Star. It’s been great seeing him enjoy being back home, hype up the Clips every chance he gets on social media, and talk so highly about his excitement to play with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. I think he could be fantastic either as a starter or the sixth man next year.

213 Hoops 2022 Season Player Grade Roundtable: Norm Powell
Robert Flom

Our 2022 season exit interview series at 213 Hoops rolls on with a look at midseason acquisition Norm Powell.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 215 lbs

Position: Wing

Age: 28

Years in the NBA: 7

Key Stats: 5 G, 2 GS, 25 MIN, 21.4 PTS, 2.8 AST, 7.0 FTA, 50.8/54.2/85.7 with Clippers

Expectations

. . . a shrewd addition.

I don’t recall how many people considered Norm Powell to be a realistic trade-deadline target for the Clippers. (I’m not going to look it up, either.) I don’t think it was many.

As is their wont, the Clippers worked stealthily to add Powell, a versatile guard in his prime years with a long, palatable contract and some playoff chops on his CV. In return, the Clippers parted with recent first-rounder Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-rounder (from Detroit), and offloaded Eric Bledsoe and Justise Winslow. Powell was a deadline-story headliner, the type of player who could help propel a Clipper offense that increasingly relied upon Reggie Jackson. It was the kind of trade that makes you say, “Ooh.” And they got Robert Covington too.

Reality

. . . abridged, like so many Clippers’ stories this season.

Norm Powell played all of three games for the 2022 Clippers before he broke his foot. He missed the next two months before returning for a two-game tune-up before the play-in games.

Powell tantalized in his brief regular season tenure with the Clippers, flashing his ability to carry a large offensive load and score at the two most critical levels, in the paint and from beyond the arc. He brought the downhill element the Clippers hoped to find with Bledsoe. Powell scored at least 20 three times and led the Clippers in free-throw attempts three times. He made more than half of his threes.

Unfortunately, the added intensity of the play-in games revealed cracks. With so little time to gel with his new teammates, Powell struggled at both ends. His season was over quickly, again.

Future with Clippers

Powell just completed the first of a five-year, $90 million contract. He is currently signed for longer than any other Clipper. He is an important part of the team’s near and intermediate future, either as a contributor or as a movable salary.

Powell’s roughly $18 million average salary is no bargain, but it’s no gross burden either. With the Clippers’ cap tied to two max-salary stars and a largely veteran roster, Powell’s long-term commitment through the late years of his prime were more feature than bug. In his brief 2021 audition, Powell showed how he could serve as an offensive spark plug in the absence of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, an eventuality given the stars’ age and requirement for rest for good health. In 2019, Powell showed he could contribute next to one of those stars, serving as a productive role player for the title-winning Raptors.

The Clippers know both sides of Powell. They’ve planned for it. They expect to see it next year. Just don’t tell him to break a leg.

Clippers 2022 Season Exit Interview: Norm Powell
Thomas Wood