The addition of Norman Powell does wonders for Houston's offensive firepower. The Rockets were ranked 13th in the NBA when it came to offensive rating. For a team with so much potential, a middling rank should be a disgrace.
The Rockets feature some immensely talented scorers, such as Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and a savvy veteran star in Fred VanVleet. Unfortunately, Sengun and VanVleet appeared to be the only relevant threats in the postseason as Green disappeared from the spotlight.
Powell appears as a solid acquisition in this case. As a legitimate scoring threat at multiple levels, he demands the attention of defenders and is capable of creating his shot as well. The 31-year-old veteran recorded an average of 21.8 points per game on an efficient 48.4% shooting from the field and 41.8% shooting from beyond the arc.
Powell's style of play seamlessly aligns with Houston's offensive system and personnel requirements. Given that they are practically a half-court team with Sengun playing the role of facilitator, the forward could find himself open on the perimeter more often than not.
In addition to this, the Rockets will also acquire a key first-round pick. While it would be ideal to simply utilize this pick to draft some young talent, Houston may engage in some more trades on draft night, leveraging the pick to gain more relevant assets. The trade certainly helps the Rockets in the current scenario, specifically because there is a high likelihood of Green being on the trading block. By adding a third scoring option, Houston retains its offensive integrity by filling it with a veteran with championship experience instead.
The trade proposal also brings some benefits for the Clippers in this scenario. The Los Angeles team saw a difficult and crushing end to their season after a loss in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. The team showed a lot of fight, but eventually came up short as some key role players failed to produce on the biggest stage. At this stage, the Clippers' core is comprised of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. Although this looks solid on paper, Leonard's injury-prone nature and Harden's routine absences in the playoffs do not present optimistic futures for the franchise.
The team may be best served by focusing on a rebuild, effective immediately. While trading Leonard and Harden could bring in a lot more assets, a trade involving Powell helps them structure their rebuild quite efficiently. Tari Eason showed a lot of upside for the Rockets this season. The young forward put up averages of 12.0 points and 6.4 rebounds on 48.7% FG. Although he didn't play as many minutes in the playoffs, the 24-year-old made for a reliable option on the offensive end.
Meanwhile, Cam Whitmore might be a great acquisition for the Clippers. Although he didn't get much playing time in the regular season, the 20-year-old forward has displayed incredible shot-creating ability and offensive versatility. He notched an average of 9.4 points on 44.4% shooting from the field. Jock Landale is one of the pieces of this trade that don't have an impact on the team's future. At 29 years old, Landale seems to have found his level as a rotation big who gives energy off the bench. This may not be of much value to the Clippers in this context.