The Miami Heat made their first real offseason move, acquiring Norman Powell from the Los Angeles Clippers in a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz.
The deal is already turning heads from NBA analysts. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst was elated about this pickup for Miami.
"The Heat are thrilled by what they got in this deal," Windhorst said on NBA Today Friday afternoon. "They had been looking for a way to upgrade the talent on their roster, and to be able to basically get John Collins from the Jazz and then flip him to the Clippers for Norman Powell, that is a big upgrade to their backcourt."
Powell averaged a career-high 21.8 points last season, anchoring the backcourt as the second-leading scorer behind James Harden. He shot 48.4 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from 3-point range. His production slightly dipped in the postseason, but he still showed flashes of why he was nearly an All-Star in 2025.
"Powell's coming off a career season," Windhorst said. "His steady improvement in the mid-part of his career has been terrific. This is definitely the type of move that in an Eastern Conference that's frankly banged up and void of talent, this type of talent influx is huge for the Heat."
He adds to a backcourt featuring star guard Tyler Herro, with standout Davion Mitchell and rookie Kasparas Jakučionis projected in the second unit. His high-level scoring and outside threat should help elevate Miami's lackluster offense, while alleviating pressure off big man Bam Adebayo in the scoring department.
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