On Friday, it was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN that the Los Angeles Clippers will be sending Eric Bledsoe to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a five-player trade.
The Clippers will also move Justise Winslow, rookie Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. The transaction will be the first major move ahead of next week’s Thursday trade deadline.
With the trade, the Clippers will add two proven veterans to their roster with Paul George (elbow) and Kawhi Leonard (knee) out for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers will shed the long-term salary for Powell, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract last year.
Convington is in the final year of his four-year contract.
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The reported deal between the two teams will ensure the Clippers can compete this season without George and Leonard. The team could eventually get them back toward the end of the season, which would only strengthen its chances of making a deep run.
For the Trail Blazers, the trade could mean the team will be sellers ahead of the trade deadline. The team is 10th in the Western Conference at 21-31 and could be looking to restart and acquire young players and future draft assets to build around.
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