Following the moves that go down as the deadline approaches
Trade season is upon us! We will be tracking each move that happens across the NBA landscape leading up to the Feb. 10 trade deadline. We’ll offer a quick take and any relevant Sixers spin. First up…
Clippers are sending Blazers a 2025 second-round pick via the Detroit Pistons, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 4, 2022
The trade will put Portland under the luxury tax.
The Clippers tax bill increases from $93.9M to $112.9M (+$19M). https://t.co/ZpEJfML8XM
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 4, 2022
Snap take: Tank SZN in Portland! The Blazers care not for their current 10th seed and play-in positioning in the Western Conference, as they are sending out two valuable rotation players for the ghost of Eric Bledsoe, a second-round pick, and juicy monetary savings for ownership. For the Clippers, it’s unlikely Kawhi Leonard and Paul George return this season, but having Powell around long-term sets them up well in the future, and if either star does come back by the playoffs, Norm and Covington help turn LA into a very dangerous underdog opponent.
Sixers spin: This move can not be what Damian Lillard had in mind before the season when he expressed his desire for Portland management to do a better job building the roster around him. Luxury tax savings do not scream, “We’re ready to build a contender!” The writing appears to be on the wall for a full rebuild in the PDX, and you have to believe Dame might be ready to rethink his loyalty stance this summer. Every disgruntled star elsewhere can only benefit the Sixers if Ben Simmons is still around at season’s end.