Joe Cronin’s first major trade as the Portland Trail Blazers’ GM might have inadvertently changed the landscape of the entire NBA. It all started with the Norman Powell trade to the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2022.
The deal, which sent Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a second-round pick, was primarily a cost-cutting move for Portland. However, it had far-reaching consequences that no one could have predicted.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who shared this story on The Hoop Collective podcast, this trade was the “straw that broke the camel’s back for NBA owners.” During a breakfast meeting with an unnamed owner, Windhorst witnessed firsthand the frustration this deal caused. The owner was livid about the Clippers’ ability to take on additional salary, adding $19 million to their tax bill and pushing their total luxury tax payment to a whopping $113 million.
This trade became a catalyst for change in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. Owners cried foul, demanding stricter rules on team spending and a more punitive system for those exceeding the salary cap. The result? A new CBA with the most restrictive financial rules in league history.
The irony isn’t lost on me. Cronin’s first significant move as GM, intended to cut costs and reset the Blazers’ roster, ended up creating a financial environment that now makes it challenging for him to make similar moves in the future.
The new CBA was coming with our without a massive Trail Blazrs salary shedding manuever in February 2022. But the irony is too good not to share.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Blazers Podcast:
• The impact of the new CBA on trade deadlines
• The Warriors’ strategy in acquiring Schröder before December 16th
• The race to the bottom of the standings
