New-Look Miami Heat With Norman Powell Look Ready To Make Noise In East
The Miami Heat endured a disappointing 2024-25 season, as the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in record-breaking fashion in the first round of the playoffs. After a thrashing like that one, roster changes seemed almost inevitable this offseason, as the Heat looked to return to relevance.
Advertisement
The Heat were very much in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes at one stage, but the Phoenix Suns would trade him to the Houston Rockets instead. While missing out on Durant was disappointing, they have now managed to bring in a pretty good scorer.
The Heat acquired Norman Powell on Monday in a three-team deal that involved the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz. They only had to part with Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson from their roster to get Powell, and here's what their depth chart looks like now following this deal.
Depth Chart
Point Guard: Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, Kasparas Jakucionis
Shooting Guard: Norman Powell, Terry Rozier, Pelle Larsson
Small Forward: Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Simone Fontecchio, Keshad Johnson
Power Forward: Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith
Center: Kel'el Ware, Vladislav Goldin
The Heat weren't a great offensive team last season, ranking 21st in offensive rating at 112.4. They needed another scorer in that backcourt with Tyler Herro and have now got one in Powell.
Advertisement
Herro averaged 23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Heat in 2024-25. It was the best season of his career, and he was rewarded for it with a spot on the All-Star team.
It was a revolving door at the guard spot next to Herro for much of last season, and some continuity with having Powell there should help. He averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Clippers in 2024-25.
With Kawhi Leonard missing the start of the season and Paul George leaving in free agency, the Clippers needed someone to step up, and Powell did just that. He'll now be carrying a lot of that scoring load with Herro on the Heat.
There is one problem with having a starting backcourt of Herro and Powell, though, and that's defense. They can't really defend, but fortunately for them, those next to them can.
Advertisement
Andrew Wiggins remains a very good wing defender, and he averaged 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Heat in 2024-25. Wiggins was the big piece the Heat got from the Golden State Warriors in the Jimmy Butler trade, and it looked like he might be on the move again this offseason.
Trade rumors were swirling around, with the Los Angeles Lakers being one of the teams linked. Following this Powell trade, though, you'd think the Heat wouldn't be parting with Wiggins.
Someone who the Heat definitely won't part with is Bam Adebayo. Adebayo averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in 2024-25. It wasn't his greatest season, but he's been a perennial DPOY candidate and was a big reason why the team ranked ninth in defensive rating at 112.0 last season.
Kel'el Ware is another who isn't getting traded, with the Heat reportedly refusing to include him in packages for Durant. Ware, the 15th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, had a productive rookie campaign, averaging 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game in 2024-25. He showed promise on both ends of the floor, and it'll be fascinating to see his progression.
Advertisement
The Heat have a solid bench unit as things stand as well. They've got a defensive guard in Davion Mitchell and an intriguing prospect in Kasparas Jakucionis along with him in the backcourt.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is probably the one to keep an eye on from this reserve unit, as he didn't quite take a leap in his sophomore season. If Jaquez is able to bounce back, he can provide a much-needed boost from the bench or even make a case to be a starter.
In all, this is a solid team that can make some noise in what is a very weak Eastern Conference. A run to the NBA Finals still appears highly unlikely, but the Heat could well prove to be a headache for some of the best teams in the Conference.
Related: Grade The Trade: Norman Powell To Heat, John Collins To Clippers, Jazz Receive Assets
This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LA Sparks' Cameron Brink nears return after 13-month ACL recovery
NEW YORK (AP) — Cameron Brink can see the light at the end of the tunnel. She's been out for 13 months after tearing the ACL in her left knee in a game at Connecticut in June last season. Now she's been cleared to play again and is eager to get back on the court with her Los Angeles Sparks teammates. 'I feel great. I'm super thankful that the Sparks have let me take my time and really feel great coming back,' Brink said to a few reporters after shootaround Saturday. 'I'm excited to be out there with my teammates.' Brink has been working toward playing in a game. After the Sparks finished their pregame shootaround, Brink went to the Barclays Center practice court and got in another 20-minute workout. 'I've put in a lot of hard work. I feel like what people usually see is me living my life normally, but people don't see the hours and hours that I put in the gym with my trainers, amazing training staff," she said. 'I've been working my (behind) off, so I definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel for sure.' Coach Lynne Roberts said that Brink won't play against the Liberty on Saturday night, but expects the 6-foot-4 forward back soon. Three of their next four games are at home after Saturday. 'It's hard to come in midseason, and then you add the mental aspect that every athlete struggles with being out that long,' Roberts said. Brink's been around the team as much as she could over the past year and also found ways to keep herself busy during the long rehab process, starting a podcast and graduating from Stanford. 'It's really tough mental, waking up every day and watching your team from the sideline cheering everyone on. I love cheering on my teammates, but there comes a point where I want to be out there too,' Brink said. 'So, I'm just really happy to be at that point and just thankful for everyone along the way.' Brink said that it's been tough during the long recovery period. She knows it will take time to get back to where she was before she got injured. Before she got hurt, Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, was averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. 'It's a little nerve-wracking for sure., I'm just really going to try to be patient with myself because I'm definitely not where I was last year,' she said. 'It's still a work in progress, but yeah, just thankful for the fans. Really excited to be able to just go out there and do what I love.' ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Steelers announce 2025 Hall of Honor class headlined by Ben Roethlisberger
Few NFL franchises can boast the sheer volume of talent over the decades that the Pittsburgh Steelers can. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is filled with former Steelers and the franchise has six Super Bowl championships. The team also has their own Ring of Honor and each year a select few former Steelers legends get their names added. On Saturday, the Steelers announced the three former Steelers who will be a part of the 2025 class. This class is headlined by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He is joined by center Maurkice Pouncey and outside linebacker Joey Porter. To be considered for the Hall of Honor, a player must be retired for at least three seasons, have spent at least three seasons with the Steelers, and obviously have had a significant impact on the team during their tenure. Other members of the Hall of Honor include Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Mel Blount, Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, John Stallworth, Rod Woodson, Troy Polamalu, Donnie Shell, Ernie Stautner, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca. According to the team's press release, the Steelers will welcome the 2025 Hall of Honor Class when the team takes on the Miami Dolphins on Monday, Dec. 15. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers announce 2025 Hall of Honor class headlined by Ben Roethlisberger
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Blues Have Big Move To Make With Breakout Forward
The St. Louis Blues' decision to tender an offer sheet to forward Dylan Holloway this past off-season undoubtedly proved to be a great decision. After the Edmonton Oilers elected not to match the Blues' two-year, $4,580,914 offer sheet for Holloway, he broke out in a major way in his first season with St. Louis.
