Norman Powell has been traded away from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Miami Heat.
The Miami Heat have finally made their big move this offseason, striking a trade to acquire LA Clippers star Norman Powell.
The three team trade saw the Clippers acquire John Collins from the Utah Jazz as part of the deal.
LA Clippers receive: John CollinsMiami Heat receive: Norman PowellUtah Jazz receive: Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love, 2027 second-round pick (LAC)
Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty ImagesGilbert Arenas on Norman Powell to Miami Heat
Norman Powell’s move to the Miami Heat gives him a fresh start after a really promising season for the LA Clippers trailed off.
Powell was in the All-Star conversation, regarded as a notable snub. But after the break when Kawhi Leonard got more of a foothold in the team after his return from injury, Powell’s impact trailed off.
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas spoke about the trade on his YouTube channel, and he feels it is a bad move for Norman Powell.
He explained that he believes Powell will get fewer opportunities on the Heat, compared to if he stayed on the Clippers, because he is confident Kawhi Leonard will not stay healthy.
Arenas said: “The reason he was averaging that much was because one whole star was gone [Kawhi].
“He was the go-to guy by himself. James Harden was an assist guy. He’s out there but I’m giving you the ball’.
“You going to Miami where there’s already guys that want to shoot the ball. Now it’s a fight for the ball.
“You going to a team where they all are trying to be the star.”
He emphasized: “Here in [the] Clippers, you can bank on Kawhi not playing a lot. I’d rather play with Kawhi, I know he’s not going to play 82 games, 65 games. He’s going to play 40-50 so I know I get to be the man for a while.
“Them Miami dudes, they’re going to want to play.”
Norman Powell trade has had a largely positive reaction
From a Miami Heat perspective, the trade has had a largely very positive reaction, with fans excited by the move.
Miami gave up very little to acquire Powell, and it was a move worth making, one that freshens up the team.
There will be issues to iron out. Tyler Herro and Norman Powell both like to shoot the ball at a high rate, but a coach as experienced as Erik Spoelstra should be able to appreciate this as a positive dilemma.