The Miami Heat made the steal of the NBA offseason by acquiring Norman Powell from the LA Clippers earlier this week. Perhaps most impressively, it was a move that no one saw coming.
But not only did Miami manage to land a fringe-All-Star player from under the nose of the rest of the league, but the fact that they also did so in exchange for only Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love is nothing short of remarkable.
In a vacuum, it’s hard not to categorize as this move as possibly the best move of the summer (so far).
The Heat may have some bigger roster construction issues that they must work through heading into the remainder of the summer, but it’s hard to criticize the move for Powell.
This move probably doesn’t make them a contender and may not even guarantee them a spot in the top 6 of the Eastern Conference, but it’s certainly a move that should give the fan base some hope that this front office still has some magic left in them.
Perhaps most notably, that the demise of Pat Riley was greatly exaggerated.
Pat Riley proved that he’s not completely washed just yet
Many Heat fans spent the majority of the first portion of the NBA offseason eulogizing Riley and the Heat’s front office, and many were not kind. However, the move for Powell has done plenty of good to bring some of those fans back around.
Most importantly, this brilliant move from the Heat proves that the team has a direction. It may not be clearly communicated to the fan base and may be ever-changing, but the fact that this front office can still pull off a move that is almost unanimously praised should count for something.
The Heat still don’t have their star replacement after Jimmy Butler, but they continue to pile together moves that could end up getting them there. The addition of Powell was a significant one that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Even if he doesn’t end up being a big part of the future, there’s a chance that this deal for Powell, intentionally or not, could play an integral role in helping position Miami in a way to accomplish their bigger goals in the future.
Whether most are willing to admit it or not, the Heat made arguably the best move of the NBA offseason – and it was one that went largely undetected by the rest of the league. In today’s media age, that’s incredibly impressive and extremely rare.
