Houston Rockets: 3 players to avoid trading for

2. Norman Powell

One of the names that’s reportedly garnered significant interest around the NBA ahead of Thursday’s deadline is Toronto Raptors shooting guard Norman Powell. The sixth-year sniper has been on a tear in 2020-21, which has reportedly put him on the Houston Rockets’ radar.

Powell has averaged a career-best 19.6 points on 49.8 percent from the floor, 43.6 percent from three, and 86.5 percent from the charity stripe, putting him within reach of the rare 50/40/90 club. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Powell is putting up impressive numbers, as this will likely be the final year of Powell’s contract.

Powell is technically under contract through 2021-22, but has a player option that’s worth just $11.6 million, which is a number that he could easily exceed on the open market. As sports have proven time and time again, a contract year is quite the incentive for players to raise their level of play, as Powell has done this season.

What also can’t be ignored about Powell is his age, as he’s set to turn 28-years-old before the 2021-22 season starts, which isn’t exactly valuable for a Rockets team that has made it known that they are seeking younger players. And rightfully so, as they are undergoing a rebuild of their roster, after consistently having one of the older rosters in the league year-after-year.

At just 6-foot-3, Powell doesn’t exactly possess ideal size on the wing, and the fact that Powell’s market has become so hot means the Rockets could find themselves in a bidding war to acquire him, which should make them want to look the other way.

Not to mention the fact that he could leave in the summer.

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