A fascinating wrinkle to Miami Heat guard Norman Powell’s maiden season in Miami is that he will be playing on an expiring contract. He is set to hit unrestricted free agency after he earns just over $20 million in the 2025-26 campaign.
However, it’s worth noting that the Heat and Powell can agree on a contract extension anytime between now and June 30, and Miami is reportedly open to considering an extension if the beginning of the campaign goes smoothly.
“According to a source, the Heat is open to considering an extension with Powell if the start of the season goes well,” Barry Jackson wrote.
The Heat acquired Powell earlier this offseason in a three-team trade that also sent big man John Collins to the Los Angeles Clippers and big man Kevin Love, forward Kyle Anderson and a second-round pick to the Utah Jazz.
Powell maybe isn’t the solidified star that fans of the Heat were hoping the team would acquire, but he sure played like one with the Clippers last season. He stacked up with some of the best players in the league from a scoring standpoint, considering only 23 qualified players across the NBA averaged more points than he did.
At 21.8 points per game, he averaged more points than the likes of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland.
Some people might believe the Heat should think twice before considering handing Powell a lucrative contract extension. After all, he is beginning to get a bit long in the tooth now that he’s 32 years old, and he will turn 33 in May.
However, with Powell fresh off the best season of his career, Miami shouldn’t be worried that he will decline anytime soon — at least so long as he doesn’t look totally off his game to begin his opening season with the Heat.
Powell will get plenty of opportunities to prove that his career year with the Clippers wasn’t a one-off fluke when the 2025-26 season starts up. Hopefully, he will be similarly effective for the Heat, and Miami will decide to sign him to a deal that will keep him with the team for years to come.