The Miami Heat endured a disappointing 2024-25 season, as the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in record-breaking fashion in the first round of the playoffs. After a thrashing like that one, roster changes seemed almost inevitable this offseason, as the Heat looked to return to relevance.
The Heat were very much in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes at one stage, but the Phoenix Suns would trade him to the Houston Rockets instead. While missing out on Durant was disappointing, they have now managed to bring in a pretty good scorer.
The Heat acquired Norman Powell on Monday in a three-team deal that involved the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz. They only had to part with Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson from their roster to get Powell, and here’s what their depth chart looks like now following this deal.
Depth Chart
Point Guard: Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, Kasparas Jakucionis
Shooting Guard: Norman Powell, Terry Rozier, Pelle Larsson
Small Forward: Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Simone Fontecchio, Keshad Johnson
Power Forward: Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith
Center: Kel’el Ware, Vladislav Goldin
The Heat weren’t a great offensive team last season, ranking 21st in offensive rating at 112.4. They needed another scorer in that backcourt with Tyler Herro and have now got one in Powell.
Herro averaged 23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Heat in 2024-25. It was the best season of his career, and he was rewarded for it with a spot on the All-Star team.
It was a revolving door at the guard spot next to Herro for much of last season, and some continuity with having Powell there should help. He averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Clippers in 2024-25.
With Kawhi Leonard missing the start of the season and Paul George leaving in free agency, the Clippers needed someone to step up, and Powell did just that. He’ll now be carrying a lot of that scoring load with Herro on the Heat.
There is one problem with having a starting backcourt of Herro and Powell, though, and that’s defense. They can’t really defend, but fortunately for them, those next to them can.
Andrew Wiggins remains a very good wing defender, and he averaged 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Heat in 2024-25. Wiggins was the big piece the Heat got from the Golden State Warriors in the Jimmy Butler trade, and it looked like he might be on the move again this offseason.
Trade rumors were swirling around, with the Los Angeles Lakers being one of the teams linked. Following this Powell trade, though, you’d think the Heat wouldn’t be parting with Wiggins.
Someone who the Heat definitely won’t part with is Bam Adebayo. Adebayo averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in 2024-25. It wasn’t his greatest season, but he’s been a perennial DPOY candidate and was a big reason why the team ranked ninth in defensive rating at 112.0 last season.
Kel’el Ware is another who isn’t getting traded, with the Heat reportedly refusing to include him in packages for Durant. Ware, the 15th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, had a productive rookie campaign, averaging 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game in 2024-25. He showed promise on both ends of the floor, and it’ll be fascinating to see his progression.
The Heat have a solid bench unit as things stand as well. They’ve got a defensive guard in Davion Mitchell and an intriguing prospect in Kasparas Jakucionis along with him in the backcourt.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is probably the one to keep an eye on from this reserve unit, as he didn’t quite take a leap in his sophomore season. If Jaquez is able to bounce back, he can provide a much-needed boost from the bench or even make a case to be a starter.
In all, this is a solid team that can make some noise in what is a very weak Eastern Conference. A run to the NBA Finals still appears highly unlikely, but the Heat could well prove to be a headache for some of the best teams in the Conference.
