The Clippers are striking early with the trade deadline less than a week away. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers acquired Norman Powell and Robert Covington from the Blazers on Friday in exchange for Justise Winslow, Eric Bledsoe, Keon Johnson, and a second-round selection.

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Last summer, Powell, 28, agreed to a five-year, $90 million contract that will keep him on the team until 2026. After this season, Covington, 31, will be a free agent. With Damian Lillard out indefinitely, the Blazers are sitting in the last play-in spot in the Western Conference.

This trade effectively indicates that PDX is about to tank. Next season, Bledsoe’s contract is only guaranteed for $3.9 million, while Winslow, 25, has a contract for around $4 million. Johnson, a 2021 first-round pick, has only played in 15 games this season. Let’s give both sides a grade on the deal.

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This appears to be a home run for the Clippers. Powell is averaging over 19 points per game this season, with a 40.6 percent three-point shooting percentage. He’ll fit right in with LA’s starting lineup, and Bledsoe had been expendable since Amir Coffey’s arrival.

Powell resembles a Tyronn Lue player in that he is a fantastic shooter who can also play defence. Powell should feast on open threes on a nightly basis, especially once one or both of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George return. From their season together in Toronto, Powell has also played with Leonard.

Once healthy, the Clippers have a core of Powell-Kawhi-PG that can be surrounded by Coffey, Nic Batum, Marcus Morris, Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, Ivica Zubac, and now Robert Covington, depending on the matchup or who is hot that night.

While Covington isn’t a great on-ball defender, he can still be useful in Lue’s switch-heavy strategy when paired with other strong stoppers. He also has a career 35.7 percent three-point shooting percentage. If both sides agree in the offseason, LA will get his Bird rights, making it easier to re-sign him.

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This move improves the Clippers, who are now seventh in the Western Conference, not only in the short term, but also in the long run whenever their players return. Hopefully, because of the aggressive character of this transaction, the head staff in Los Angeles believes George or Leonard will be able to return to the court this season.

In any case, LA has unquestionably improved in terms of talent. The Clippers may have propelled themselves back toward the top of the Western Conference, even if it will have to wait until next season. In Los Angeles, there is at least one excellent front office.

It’s not exactly a great set of steps to go from Gary Trent to Norm Powell to Bledsoe, Winslow, Johnson, and a second-round pick. If Lillard stays, moving off Powell’s salary will allow the Blazers re-tool around him.

Although Winslow is only 25, he has never lived up to the promise he displayed in Miami, and his shooting is non-existent. Johnson, 19, was a first-round pick, though the jury is still out on what kind of player he will be.

Mostly, it seems underwhelming that Portland hasn’t been able to wrest at least a first-round selection from a desperate contender in a market flooded with bidders, but maybe they’ve seen something in Johnson that they like.

The cap flexibility this trade provides is not insignificant for a squad in desperate need of a makeover. It’s also not a deal that Blazers supporters will be overjoyed about.