Boston Celtics: 3 offseason Portland Trail Blazers deals

Why the Boston Celtics do it

Norman Powell could be the rotation replacement of Evan Fournier this offseason should the Frenchman bolt in free agency. His last two games before his latest trip to the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocol indicate that a strong end of the season is possible.

A hefty payday could follow.

Historically, Fournier has not been great in the postseason, but he has been in a featured role playing for a low-seeded Orlando Magic against the best of the Eastern Conference the last few years.

That could change this offseason in the Cs second unit.

What doesn’t figure to change is Norman Powell’s stellar postseason prowess. After serving as a key reserve for the 2019 NBA Champion Toronto Raptors, he had three 20-point performances in the 2020 postseason down in the Lake Buena Vista bubble.

Why the Portland Trailblazers do it

Of course, this deal hinges on Powell accepting his player option. If he did, Portland could find deal him for a young stud in Aaron Nesmith, a frontcourt presence in Tristan Thompson, and a future pick.

Powell is a great target for the Cs that may prove difficult to get a hold of, but if the stars aligned, he’d be a perfect bench boost.