Raptors NBA Champion Sends Message on Being Traded

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Elie A. Deglaoui | Last updated May 23, 2025 2:04 PM ET

In 2019, the Toronto Raptors brought home their first NBA Championship after defeating the reigning two-time champion Golden State Warriors in six games. Though they were led by Kawhi Leonard in his only year with the team, the Raptors had plenty of other solid players who are still making an impact in the league today.

Unfortunately for Toronto, they have yet to make it back to the NBA Finals and have only made a playoff appearance twice since their title victory. Still, their 2018-19 team remains the most special in franchise history and likely always will.

Recently, Norman Powell, one of the key rotation players of that Raptors roster, sent a message to the team four years after getting traded away.

Powell spent the first six years of his NBA career with the Raptors and averaged 15.9 minutes per game during their 2019 playoff run. However, in March 2021, the Raptors traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers for Rodney Hood and Gary Trent Jr.

At the time, the San Diego native was on an expiring contract. Recently, Powell revealed that he and the Raptors never had discussions regarding a new deal. Furthermore, he said he never wanted to leave Toronto, though he understood it from a business perspective (h/t Zulfi Sheikh of Sportsnet).

"I didn’t have any contract talks with (the Raptors front office), we didn’t even get that far," Powell said. "I wanted to be there, I didn’t want to leave, but I know it’s a business."

Powell, now a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, is enjoying the best stretch of his career and was an All-Star candidate this season. However, it seems that the 32-year-old still has love for Toronto, even four years after they shipped him out.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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