The Miami Heat have acquired an elite scorer as part of a major three-team trade.
Norman Powell was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Heat on Monday as part of a three-team deal that also involves the Utah Jazz. The Clippers are getting veteran power forward John Collins in the trade, which was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Jazz will receive Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a 2027 second-round draft pick from the Clippers.
Powell is coming off arguably the best season of his 10-year NBA career. The 32-year-old averaged a career-high 21.8 points per game and shot 41.8 percent from three-point range.
Powell is entering the final year of his contract and owed just over $20 million. Many felt he should have been an All-Star this past season, so he has positioned himself for a lucrative extension that the Clippers may not have wanted to give him.
Collins is also coming off a strong season in which he averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, though he was limited to just 40 games because of injuries.
The Heat were reportedly a finalist for Kevin Durant, who ended up being traded to the Houston Rockets. Pat Riley wants to get his team back to contending after it went 37-45 last season and suffered its second straight first-round playoff loss.
Miami was reportedly linked to another star player in recent days, but the trade for Powell appears to be a huge win for it.
