3 Former Bruins Traded for Each Other in NBA

Three former UCLA Bruins basketball stars were all involved in a three-team trade between the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz and Miami Heat on Monday.

The trade, reported by ESPN's Shams Charania and Ohm Youngmisuk, sends Norman Powell to the Heat, John Collins to the Clippers, and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson, and a 2027 Clippers second-rounder to Utah.

Coming off a stellar season with the Clippers, Powell was deemed by many as an All-Star snub for his 21.8-point-per-game campaign. Powell is one of five active UCLA products to win a championship. He won in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors and current Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam.

Not only does Powell have veteran, championship experience, he's coming off an All-Star level season with a Clippers team that many figured was a top-3 team in the Western Conference. Los Angeles lost to Denver in seven games in the first round.

Love, an All-American in his lone season with UCLA, made waves in 2018 when he released a story on Player's Tribune chronicling his battle with anxiety and various other mental illnesses. He has since been a pioneer and advocate of the cause and will long be remembered across all sports for his efforts to shed light on such a tragic subject.

The 36-year-old forward is entering his twilight years in the NBA and has spent his last three seasons with the Miami Heat. Before going to South Beach, Love spent eight seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he won his lone NBA Championship.

Love was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2008 and became a five-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA Team selection, the 2010-11 rebounding champion and 10-11 most improved player.

Powell played four seasons for the Bruins and averaged 16.4 points per game in his senior year in 2014-15. In his career, he averaged 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 141 games. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 46th overall pick in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft.

Anderson played two seasons in Westwood and averaged 12.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He led UCLA to the Pac-12 regular season title in 2013and to the Pac-12 tournament title in 2014. He was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft.