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As the Miami Heat acquired Norman Powell from the Los Angeles Clippers in a three-team trade including the Utah Jazz, it no doubt marked the team's first big move this summer. While there are other rumors about the Heat in the aftermath of the trade for Powell, let's take a look at how the deal impacts Miami.
The trade would first be reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, saying that Powell is on his way to Miami where it looks like the only pieces that the team gave up are Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson, who both are heading to the Jazz. Charania calls Powell a “major scoring punch,” who did have a career year with Los Angeles last season.
“BREAKING: The Clippers, Jazz, and Heat have agreed to a trade that sends Norman Powell to Miami, John Collins to Los Angeles, and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson, and a 2027 Clippers second-round pick to the Jazz, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday morning.
“Miami is acquiring a major scoring punch in Powell while the Clippers find a dynamic lob threat,” Charania continued. “Both Powell and Collins are coming off strong seasons.”
Miami is acquiring a major scoring punch in Powell while the Clippers find a dynamic lob threat. Both Powell and Collins are coming off strong seasons. Utah has turned Collins' expiring deal into an asset in the form of a second-rounder in return. https://t.co/kG4SB3X8ZX
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2025
How Norman Powell impacts the Heat and a look at what the team gave up
Though headlines around the Heat have linked them to players like Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, the team takes a big swing with this trade in getting Powell for a relatively small exchange. Love had been in Miami the past two seasons and has been productive in providing the team with elite veteran experience and production as a backup big.
His playing time would dwindle last season, and he is in the twilight years of his career at 36 years old, though he can still add to any team and no doubt will be missed in the Heat's locker room. As for Anderson, he came to Miami as part of the Jimmy Butler trade from the Golden State Warriors and had his moments with the team.
Pat Riley and the Heat front office dealt Love and Anderson in simple terms for Powell and one can't help but feel that it's a savvy and exceptional move from the team. Powell has been in the league since 2015, but had a career-best season with the Clippers last year, where he averaged 21.8 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 48.4 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent from beyond the arc in 60 games.
Norman Powell averaged 21.8 PPG on 42% 3PFG last season 🔥pic.twitter.com/FSeO6NZMQb
— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) July 7, 2025
A large part of that production came from star Kawhi Leonard being out for the first two months, leading to Powell stepping up in a big way. He gives the team much-needed scoring as the Heat fell in the bottom 10 of the league in offensive rating for the third straight season, a trend that needed to be addressed.
Heat's financial situation with the Norman Powell trade
While the Heat have been somewhat active like trading Duncan Robinson to the Detroit Pistons and are even in continuous rumors connecting to Andrew Wiggins, Powell does give some clarity to their financial situation. Besides the production on the court, Miami probably liked the idea of getting a player in Powell who is on an expiring contract as per Spotrac, he's owed close to $20.5 million next season and will be an unrestricted free agent after.
The team is now hard-capped at the first apron, which won't change for the entirety of the season and is also in luxury tax territory, which the Heat don't want to be. With them now having an open roster spot, likely, they aren't done making moves, as while they can't change being hard-capped, the team can get out of the luxury tax in shedding salary.
Going back to Wiggins, with his cap hit over $28 million, the team could still be actively trying to move him in a possible two-for-one trade, not receiving back more money. However, if there were fans who wanted the team to get Bradley Beal after a likely buyout from the Phoenix Suns, the trade for Powell likely takes them out with the financial limitations and being “unable to use their full MLE (mid-level exception).”
“By making this trade, the Heat have limited themselves financially since they are now hard-capped at the first apron,” Siegel wrote on X. “This means the Heat are unable to use their full MLE, thus making a path to Bradley Beal tough without trading other players. Miami is likely out on Beal.”
Does the Norman Powell trade stop the Heat from pursuing others?
With the Heat having reported interest in Lillard, the same deal is likely the case as it was with Beal, though the team can still create more space and have full use of the MLE. The way to do that is to dump salaries like Wiggins, as mentioned before, and also Terry Rozier, who could be hard to move as he comes off a very frustrating year and is owed over $26.5 million next season.
Still, as hinted before, it seems likely that this is one of the first steps for the front office in regards to compiling their roster, while also not wanting to be in the luxury tax. With one roster spot not filled, another trade would need to be in order if they want to still go after someone like Lillard or Beal, as also said by The Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang.
“That doesn’t give the Heat much money to add a 15th player, as it currently can only use a portion of its mid-level exception up to about $4.2 million or a minimum contract to add an outside free agent like three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal and/or nine-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard,” Chiang wrote. “Of course, another trade could further change the Heat’s salary-cap math.”
Final grade on the Heat's trade for Norman Powell
While the financial situation is still fluid, the move for Powell is a home run acquisition in regards to the player Miami got in Powell and the pieces they gave up, which were Love and Anderson. The Heat get a near All-Star from last season who gives the team a jolt on the offensive side of the ball to pair in a backcourt with Tyler Herro.
Heat offseason
* Miami is using the Expanded Traded Player Exception.
$13.3M going out + $8.5M= Norman Powell ($20.5M)
* $1.3M over the tax when you exclude the unlikely bonuses of Tyler Herro. pic.twitter.com/kPtmzKHGit
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 7, 2025
Plus, it creates more space to work for bigs like Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware, who's coming off an impressive rookie year. All in all, this should be labeled as a stellar trade for the Heat.
GRADE: A
At any rate, Miami is looking to improve after finishing with a 37-45 record, which put them 10th in the Eastern Conference and while the team would get through the play-in tournament, the playoff experience was one to forget.
The Heat would be swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, with the final two games being major blowouts, and there is no doubt that a hungry team is looking to make a splash next season.
