The Miami Heat made one of the most under-the-radar trades of the NBA offseason, sending Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson to the Jazz for Norman Powell in a three-team deal. They didn’t give up much to receive one of the best three-point shooters in the league. How did that happen?
Powell was a fringe All-Star last season in LA, averaging a career-high 21.8 points on 48.4 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent shooting from three. He averaged 7.1 three-point attempts per game, the most in his career.
Expectations aren’t high for Miami entering the upcoming season now that Jimmy Butler is gone, but the Heat have the potential to make some noise in the lowly East. Powell will be able to help them do that after helping the Clippers power through to the playoffs this past year.
Norman Powell trade was an A+ move for the Heat
Powell, who is 32, has some extra motivation going his way. He grew up rooting for the Heat (a full-circle moment) and is entering the last year of his current contract. The Clippers were reportedly reluctant to give Powell a long-term extension, hence why the trade happened.
His shooting will give Miami the biggest advantage. He’s shot 39.8 percent from deep throughout his career, shooting above 41 percent the past two seasons.
Duncan Robinson led the Heat last season in players who played at least 50 games, shooting 39.3 percent from deep on 6.5 attempts per game. Behind Robinson was Haywood Highsmith, who shot 38.2 percent from three on 3.1 attempts per game. Both of those players are gone, making the Powell trade that much more valuable for Miami.
He’ll make the most impact on the offensive end, but that isn’t the only area of his game that can help the Heat.
Even in a weakened conference, Miami is facing a somewhat uphill battle. The Heat aren’t strangers to being the surprise team in the league, and that could be the position they find themselves in this upcoming season without a star like Jimmy. Tyler Herro made his first All-Star team this past season, and Bam Adebayo is a three-time All-Star, but he’s coming off a lackluster season. They’ll carry the weight of the pressure this season.
What will help them? Having a shooter like Powell. When he’s on a roll, good luck stopping him! The Heat naysayers will learn soon enough.
