Toronto Raptors: Grading each trade and keeping Kyle Lowry

Toronto Raptors: Norman Powell to the Trail Blazers for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood

You can bet there was a lot of emotion involved with this trade considering Powell’s contributions to the team as he was the second-longest serving Raptor.

At the same time, like Lowry, the Raptors needed to ensure that they took every opportunity to maximize Powell’s value on the market. Like Lowry, the prospect of Powell leaving was quite high but on top of that, his next contract was likely going to be too pricey.

So what are the Raptors getting back for Powell? Unfortunately, to expect either Gary Trent Jr. or Rodney Hood to replace the offensive production the Raptors are giving up would be wishful thinking but at the same time, there is certainly the potential there.

Hood was the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz and was moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers then to the Trail Blazers. He has gone from being a bench player to a starter but an Achilles injury has set him back.

He has the size to play either shooting guard or small forward and has a chance to show the Raptors that he can bounce back from his struggles. If the Raptors choose, they could waive Hood next season to save cap space or ultimately decide that he can be a player that can be a contributor off the bench.

The big piece in this deal was the young Trent Jr. who has a lot of room to grow. The 22-year-old has the chance to be a younger, cheaper version of Powell averaging 15. points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game and is shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Getting the financial flexibility and upside in Trent Jr. is some tidy business for Ujiri and while the departure of Powell has an emotional impact, it’s better than having him opt out and leaving for nothing.

Grade: A-