The Miami Heat didn’t get a star this offseason, but that isn’t a bad thing. What they did get is Norman Powell. Yes, he’s just a fringe All-Star, but all it took to get him was Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson. Neither moved the needle for Miami the way that Powell can.

Dan Favale called Powell one of the “most impactful offseason acquisitions,” listing what the Heat gave up as one of the reasons why. They didn’t mortgage their future in their first offseason without Jimmy Butler. They didn’t swing-and-miss on a star that would’ve been worth the risk (missing out on Kevin Durant was a good thing). Instead, they came out of nowhere and snagged Powell.

He averaged a career-high 21.8 points per game last season for the Clippers, shooting 48.4% from the field and 41.8% from three on an average of 7.1 attempts per game. Powell vaulted himself into the All-Star conversation, getting snubbed in a conference stacked with talent. Not too shabby for someone who was playing their 10th season in the league.

The Powell addition isn’t enough to push the Heat into the contender conversation in the underwhelming East, but what he can do is help guide Miami back to the playoffs. He can even help the Heat advance past the first round.

The Heat are the winners of the Norman Powell trade

Powell gives Miami a scoring option off the bench behind starters Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. The Heat lost Duncan Robinson this offseason, but replacing him with an elite catch-and-shoot player like Powell is an upgrade.

His future in South Florida is a question mark, as he’s entering the final season of his current contract, which gives him even more incentive to play well. He knows what it’s like to win meaningful basketball games, so why not spend some time upping his value while stacking Ws for the Heat?

You can’t rule out a team coached by Erik Spoelstra, especially not one that boosted its depth this offseason. Outside of the Cavaliers and Knicks, who will presumably finish in the top two (but anything can happen), the East is open. Miami can easily weasel its way into a top-six finish.

The pressure isn’t on the Heat, as this will be more of an in-between season. If there’s a team that knows how to catch opposing teams off guard as an overlooked underdog, though, it’s Miami.