The Portland Trail Blazers took the first step in launching their one-year tank and retool process when Damian Lillard went under the knife to correct his abdominal tendinopathy. While it’s no guarantee that Norm will be traded – as his team-friendly contract and fit next to Lillard build a compelling case for retaining him – the state of the Trail Blazers has to have Cronin at least considering the prospect.

Portland Trail Blazers, Norman Powell

3 trades the Portland Trail Blazers can pull to send Norman Powell to a playoff contender

While Portland has plenty of veterans that can be meaningful contributors to a contending team, none of them carry as much value and interest as Powell – perhaps not even CJ McCollum.

As the teams most likely to be interested in Norm are squads that are on the cusp of true contention, the least the Trail Blazers could do for him is send him to a new situation where he can help lead a playoff push.