We have a trade in the NBA! The Portland Trailblazers have dealt Norman Powell & Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson & a future second-round pick.


This says it all. Oof.

Blazers 

Fantasy Basketball Impact

As the roster in Portland stands right now, moving on from the likes of Norman Powell and Robert Covington opens up a LOT for the Blazers in terms of fantasy production. There was a seven game stretch from January 9 to January 23 in which Powell didn’t play and Anfernee Simons was the star of the show.

Look at the numbers above. Those are league-winning numbers. He did, however, play those games without CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, but Lillard may not return this year and McCollum is also on the trading block.

If McCollum isn’t dealt, he gets a big bump fantasy wise too. Both he and Jusuf Nurkic are the primary beneficiaries. When Larry Nance returns to the lineup, which will happen seemingly any day now, he should command a heavy workload with Covington traded away.

Incoming players

It’s interesting to see how Eric Bledsoe fits on this team considering as it stands, Anfernee Simons and C.J. McCollum are going to take up a LOT of the guard minutes. Most of them in fact. I could see Bledsoe fitting into a similar role as he’s had in Los Angeles recently as he rarely plays north of mid-20’s minutes. His fantasy value as it stands is low. We’ll see how it plays out if McCollum is dealt.

The other parts of the trade is the addition of Justise Winslow and Keon Johnson. Johnson, the 21st pick in this year's draft, could factor into the Blazers rotation at some point this year, but when? It’s not likely going to be anytime soon, so there’s no need to pick him up on the waiver wire. You’ll be the only one rushing to grab him.

Winslow could play somewhat of a big role with the team’s small-forward position in flux now that they’ve moved on from Norman Powell. He could actually start here, but what’s his value at this point? He can’t stretch the floor as he’s taking less than one three per game and shooting 18% there. He’s a good rebounder for his size and can defend multiple positions, but how valuable is that in fantasy?

Clippers

Fantasy Basketball Impact

Outside of Paul George, the Clippers have had a lot of mediocrity in terms of fantasy production and this doesn’t make it any better for them. In terms of fantasy points per game, the Clippers highest ranked player – outside of George who’s injured – is Reggie Jackson at 102 as he averages 26.18 FP/game. Insert Norman Powell who’s averaging north of 27 FP/game and Robert Covington who’s putting up 23+ nightly and again..things aren’t going to get any easier for them.

If you have been rostering guys like Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey, Nicolas Batum, Luke Kennard and Terance Mann you’ve just been crushed by the realization that Norman Powell and Robert Covington are going to play substantial roles with this team. 

Incoming Players

There weren’t many better situations Norman Powell could have been traded too. The Clippers, without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, have been relying on a bunch of different guys to be their number one scoring options on a nightly basis. Powell can be that guy for them as he’s averaged 18.7 PPG this year and that’s while playing alongside Lillard, McCollum, Nurkic and Simons. Fantasy players rostering Powell were just traded into a GREAT spot.

Covington’s fantasy value is a lot harder to like. The Clippers have a lot of cooks in the kitchen in the front court. Considering he can play all three front court positions and is your prototypical three-and-D guy, he should be able to stay on the floor, but guys like Marcus Morris and Nicolas Batum are lurking and unless they’re dealt, they limit Covington’s upside at this time. He’s droppable until further notice.

Trade Winners: Norman Powell, Anfernee Simons, CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., Jusuf Nurkic

Trade Losers: Marcus Morris, Luke Kennard, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, Amir Coffey, Terance Mann