As September nears, what has been your favorite move of the Miami Heat’s offseason so far? (Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
We are exactly one month away from the start of training camp!
I know, we’re still in the dog days of summer! Though we’re slowly, but surely creeping up to the start of the 2025-26 season.
The Miami Heat have had a fairly active offseason, even though their core (Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro) has remained the same. They are coming off their worst season in over a decade and are looking to avoid their fourth-straight play-in berth.
Of all the moves they made this offseason, which one was your favorite? Here are the eligible ones:
Drafting Kasparas Jakucionis No. 20 overall (and signing Vlad Goldin to two-way).
Acquiring Norman Powell in a three-team trade.
Letting Duncan Robinson walk, but acquiring Simone Fontecchio in return.
Trading Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets.
Bringing Dru Smith for the 1,876th time once again!
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Hanifan’s Take: Acquiring Norman Powell
This was pretty easy for me. I was beyond thrilled that the Miami Heat drafted Jakucionis — who was a top-7 player in the class, for me — but Powell’s addition is going to immediately spark a dormant Heat offense that hasn’t consistently scored the ball in nearly a half-decade.
Not only is he a viable Duncan Robinson replacement, but Powell’s a better defender and a far more dangerous scoring threat than Robinson, the greatest shooter in Miami Heat history. Over his last six seasons, Powell’s averaged 17.5 points on 41.5 percent from 3-point range, in addition to 3.1 rebounds and one steal.
There’s a world where Powell leads the team in scoring this season — assuming full health. Yes, I said it!
There are still things this offense needs to fix before they can become a top-15 offense. Powell helps, but if they don’t change how they play stylistically, they’re going to tread toward being a bottom-third offense for the fourth-straight season.
And I’m still a big believer in Jakucionis’ potential … it’s going to take time, however.
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