For three years, Norman Powell was a huge part of the LA Clippers’ rotation. Last season, he was one of their lead offensive players. Yet they still decided to part ways with him this past summer, largely due to their unwillingness to pay him. Now, he’s leading the Miami Heat’s offense at a level that the Clippers never got to see.
Despite all the success that Powell had with the Clippers, they still failed to realize just how effectively he can lead an offense. And in the end, they decided to trade him. Now, their trash is the Heat’s treasure, and Miami should be thrilled.
Powell is leading the way for them this season on the offensive end.
Clippers failed to realize how impactful Norman Powell is
For the past few years, the Heat have struggled to find a consistent offensive leader. Even when Jimmy Butler was in town, he wasn’t the every-night, regular-season performer on the offensive end that they needed at times.
Tyler Herro has done a good job stepping up into that role, highlighted by an All-Star appearance last season, but he can’t do it by himself. And after Butler left last season, things really started to look dire, capped off by their brutal playoff elimination in the first round at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
So, over the summer, they made a trade. They landed Powell from the Clippers, who got John Collins from the Utah Jazz to bolster their front court.
And while the Heat aren’t one of the top teams in the East (like they were for a fleeting moment in time to begin the 2025-26 campaign), they are still in a much better place than they were last year.
Miami has won five of its last six games, and Powell has been the driving force of the team’s offense. His scoring has done wonders for them, as they’ve given him the chance to be one of the offensive leaders.
Despite the success that Powell enjoyed in LA last season, they still failed to realize just how impactful he was. Now, they are fighting up from the bottom of the West standings, as their offense is far too reliant on monster showings from Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
If they still had Powell on board, they would undoubtedly be in a better place. But they messed up. They traded him away to the Heat.
Now, Miami is getting to benefit from everything Powell brings to the table. His offensive production is a perfect fit on their team, and he’s having the best season of his career, with a real shot at making an All-Star team.