Woj: Blazers Trade Powell, Covington to Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Winslow, Pick

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The Portland Trail Blazers traded forward Robert Covington and guard Norman Powell to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a future second-round pick.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news.

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported on Dec. 14 that Portland made Covington available in trade talks along with center Jusuf Nurkic.

Through 48 games this season, Covington has averaged 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. He has not averaged over 10 points in either of his two seasons in Portland.

Covington was traded to the Blazers prior to the 2020-21 season after his second stint with the Houston Rockets. He also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers during his career.

A nine-year veteran, Covington is a defensive specialist. He has career averages of 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive first team in 2018.

Covington won’t be a game-changer on offense for the Clippers, but he can be counted on for an occasional three-pointer as more than half of his shot attempts come from beyond the arc. The Clippers will see their biggest difference on the other end of the floor.

The acquisition of Covington is a big boost to the Clippers’ defense. He’s best when he’s defending off the ball, using his length and athleticism to disrupt passing lanes with deflections and steals. Covington’s veteran presence should be a welcome addition for the Clippers.

Powell will bring explosiveness to the Clippers backcourt as a scorer, either off the bench when Paul George returns or as a starter for the time being. He’s averaging 18.7 points per game in 2021-22.

The Blazers are clearly looking toward the future with this move. Bledsoe and Winslow both have contracts that are not fully guaranteed in 2022-23. The Blazers could use the space created by this move to become a player on the open market this summer.