Raptors trade Norman Powell to Portland for 2 players

By Lucas Casaletto

The Toronto Raptors have traded guard Norman Powell to the Portland Trail Blazers for wing players Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood.

The deal was made official late Thursday.

Powell, 27, has enjoyed a career year with the Raptors, shooting .439 from three along with 19.6 points per game.

He has spent the past five seasons with Toronto after being acquired in a draft-day trade with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015.

“Norman accomplished so much with the Raptors. He committed to the process, he worked on his game, he grew as a person, and he thrived as a player,” Raptors President Masai Ujiri said.

“Norman gave us great performances to remember. Norman is an NBA Champion, and he has earned his place as one of the great success stories in franchise history. We are grateful for everything he did for our team and our city.”

Powell has an $11.6-million player option at the end of the year, which he is expected to decline in order to hit free agency.

Trent Jr. is a 22-year-old wing in the midst of a breakout year. He’s averaged 30 minutes per game while shooting .397 from three and 15 points-per-game.

His father, Gary Sr., played briefly with the Raptors during the 1997-1998 season when he, too, was acquired from the Trail Blazers in a deal that saw Damon Stoudamire head to Portland.

That trade also brought long-time Raptors guard Alvin Williams to Toronto.

Hood, 28, is currently averaging 19 minutes and 4.7 points-per-game.

The veteran guard has a $10.8-million team option for the 2021-2022 season.

In separate trades, the Raptors also dealt away guards Matt Thomas and Terrence Davis to the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings for future second-round draft picks.

Most importantly, however, the Raptors ultimately decided to keep Kyle Lowry for the rest of the season.

Lowry, who celebrated his 35th birthday on Thursday, was the subject of trade rumours that linked him to multiple teams, including Philadelphia.

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