With the Miami Heat amid the offseason, looking to bounce back after the disastrous sweep in the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team has made several moves to improve. As the Heat will still be in rumors throughout the summer, let’s take the time to examine each move and give them a grade.

There will be grades for three moves listed below as draft picks, two-way signees, Exhibit-10 contracts, and others that won’t count here. So, for example, former FAU and Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (two-way) and first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis are not touched on here, though there was a previous piece written grading the Heat’s lone draft pick.

Let’s start with what’s no doubt the biggest move made during the offseason thus far:

Heat trading for Norman Powell

It came as a shock that the Heat traded for Norman Powell, only to give up Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson in the three-team trade for a scoring threat that the team desperately needed. With some arguing he had an All-Star year last season, Powell averaged 21.8 points per game on shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from deep.

Powell will now join a Miami team featuring the duo of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, both of whom the 32-year-old praised to ClutchPoints. As Powell sees himself as a key player, he can take a lot of the offensive workload off Herro and Adebayo, while also opening them up for more positive plays.

“I’m really excited,” Powell said. “I was competing against them throughout the years, having the conversations on and off the court with Bam in passing and things like that. You know, I like what they’re building. I like the culture. They compete every single night. You know, no matter who’s healthy, who’s in, out the lineup, they’re putting a full team out there that’s going to compete and fight for wins, they’re scrappy, they’re gritty, they’re competitive, they’re very confident, and that’s what I like.”

“They’re very versatile, too,” Powell continued. “Bam can play multiple positions, can attack multitude of ways, defensively, can switch, can defend different positions, protect the rim, really athletic. Tyler Herro, he’s great off the ball, on the ball, scoring, facilitating. I think he did a great job this year getting assists, getting his teammates involved, and figuring out when to score, when to be aggressive.”

For what they traded and the type of player they received, Miami filled a need while also making an exciting move.

Grade: A 

The Heat getting Simone Fontecchio in Duncan Robinson sign-and-trade

When arguably the Heat’s most prolific sharpshooter Duncan Robinson signed with the Detroit Pistons, it ended up becoming a sign-and-trade, with the only piece in return being Simone Fontecchio.

While Fontecchio himself says he models his game after Robinson in being a capable three-point shooter, he was coming off an injury last season, leading to him shooting 33,5 percent from deep. This was down from the season prior in 2023-24, where he made 40.1 percent from beyond the arc, leading to some questions about whether he can get back to that level.

“Especially last season, it’s been a little up and down for me,” Fontecchio said. “I was coming off an injury that was a pretty important surgery on my left foot that I had last summer. So it was a little bit of chasing my best shape all summer, and then also during the regular season. So I think I was never my full self.”

“But I think I felt pretty comfortable over the last two to three years in the NBA,” Fontecchio continued. “I worked a lot to feel that way, and I’m working even harder right now during this summer. It’s the first summer after a couple years that I didn’t have any problems or injury or stuff like that, and I can really focus on myself, on my health, and my skill set. It’s something I was looking for, to work on it. But definitely before, I felt like I belonged in this league, and I can do some damage. I’m looking forward to getting back to that form.”

It remains to be seen how the injury will continue to impact them and how he gets acclimated to Miami’s system.

Grade: C-

The Heat retaining Davion Mitchell

As the Heat and Davion Mitchell agreed to a new contract, the guard was arguably the most productive of the Jimmy Butler trade package that included Andrew Wiggins and Anderson (now with the Utah Jazz via the Powell trade). Signing him to a $24 million contract could be seen as steep, but one could theorize that other teams would’ve lined up for Mitchell’s talents.

His defensive prowess, the effort on the floor, playmaking skills, etc., were on display for Miami to witness all season, whether it be in the starting lineup or the sparkplug off the bench. Even Mitchell’s three-point shooting was impressive as he shot 44.7 from that range to go along with 50.4 percent from the field on 10.3 points per game in 30 games.

“I’m just excited to be back here with this group of guys, with this coaching staff, with this organization. It’s completely different from the places I’ve been in,” Mitchell said, via The Miami Herald. “They really take winning seriously here, and I respect that, and I’m excited to be here.”

“I think it’s the Heat culture thing,” Mitchell continued. “They embrace playing really hard, and I think that’s what I bring to the game every single game, every moment of the game, I’m playing hard until the last second. So they just love players who just go out there and give it their all.”

Mitchell will continue to develop chemistry with the team, which will prove to be beneficial, even if it acts more as a lateral move.