The Miami Heat have been the clear winners of the trade involving Norman Powell ever since the deal was first completed this past summer. But now, news that the Los Angeles Clippers never even offered an extension to Powell only serves to make this look worse for Powell's former team, and that much more beneficial for Miami.
NBA Insider Jake Fischer first reported this information on his Substack this week. He writes: Sources say LA never offered high-scoring guard Norman Powell a contract extension last summer before trading him to Miami. The Clippers, sources say, were anticipating Powell would seek a deal in the range of $30 million in annual average value.
There hasn't exactly been a ton of good press to come out of the Clippers organization recently, and this is just another bad look on the franchise. Powell has of course been incredible with the Heat this season, but his campaign in Los Angeles last year was good enough to earn him a massive payday.
What Miami has unlocked with Powell is exactly what the Clippers failed to recognize. He’s become one of the Heat’s most reliable half-court scorers and a needed offensive punch next to Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
The Heat's trade for Norman Powell only looks better with time
Miami’s offense has always thrived on tough shot-making and guards who can generate efficient looks without elaborate schemes, and Powell fits that identity perfectly. His ability to get downhill and shoot efficiently from three has filled a gap Miami has struggled with since losing other depth pieces in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Clippers’ miscalculation looks even worse given how their season has unraveled. Sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference with one of the league’s worst offenses, Los Angeles has desperately needed exactly the kind of scoring spark Powell is providing in Miami. Their decision not to extend him and subsequently trade him for relatively minimal value is now emblematic of the larger issues surrounding the franchise.
Miami, on the other hand, has taken Powell’s skill set and woven it seamlessly into a system built on maximizing role players. Erik Spoelstra’s coaching has given Powell the freedom to be aggressive while also holding him accountable defensively, something he’s responded to impressively. His scoring efficiency is up, his minutes are consistent, and he’s quickly become one of the Heat’s most dependable veterans.
At the end of the day, the Norman Powell trade has turned into yet another example of why Miami continues to outperform expectations year after year. They develop undervalued talent and find ways to elevate players who were overlooked elsewhere. The Clippers let one of their best pieces walk out the door without a plan, and the Heat turned that same player into a foundational part of their winning model.