What does Friday's NBA trade tell us about the direction the LA Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers are headed? Just two spots apart in the Western Conference standings, the Clippers and Blazers are thinking differently about the rest of the regular season.
Although Clippers coach Tyronn Lue acknowledged after Thursday's 111-110 win over the rival Los Angeles Lakers that star Kawhi Leonard won't likely play this season, they still made an aggressive move to acquire Robert Covington and Norman Powell that adds to their luxury tax bill, as first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Clippers surely will also hope to benefit from this trade in 2022-23, when Leonard and Paul George should be back from injuries in pursuit of a championship.
The goals have shifted in Portland after a stretch of five losses in six games dropped the Blazers 10 games below .500. With Damian Lillard still sidelined after abdominal surgery and forward Nassir Little (shoulder surgery) done for the season, the Blazers prioritized adding a recent first-round pick (Keon Johnson) and gaining flexibility to re-sign restricted free agent Anfernee Simons over the possibility of reaching the playoffs through the play-in tournament.
Let's break down the implications of Friday's deal.