The Miami Heat’s summer keeps getting better, and the latest twist only sharpens the edge of their front office’s decision-making.
What once looked like a tough call on Norman Powell now looks like a clean win. Miami passed on a contract that likely would have landed near $20 million per season, then filled out the same area of the roster with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson for far less money. Hardaway Jr. came in on a $6 million deal at the start of free agency, and now that Thompson has officially cleared waivers, the expectation is that he’ll sign a two-year contract worth about $6.5 million per year.
Put together, that comes out to roughly $12.5 million annually for Hardaway Jr. and Thompson combined, a steep discount from what Powell would have cost. That’s the kind of financial swing that makes a summer look smarter by the day.
The Heat have managed to turn that decision into part of a broader offseason that has gone almost exactly as planned. The final verdict will come from what happens on the court, but on paper the move to let Powell go is holding up.
Powell may still be viewed as the better player at this stage of his career, but there’s a real case that Hardaway Jr. and Thompson fit Miami better. Both bring catch-and-shoot value that could help the Heat’s offense function more cleanly.
Powell’s time in Miami also faded out in a way that made the split easier to understand. He opened the season hot, but by the end he was more injured than available, and even when he came back, the pairing with Tyler Herro never felt as seamless as the team hoped.
It would be too simple to say bad luck had nothing to do with the Heat’s choice. Herro eventually wound up in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade package, but Powell had already burned through enough goodwill that the direction was becoming obvious.
Erik Spoelstra probably could have found a way to make Powell, Giannis, and Bam Adebayo work together, but Miami’s new look gives the team a better shot at smoother offense. And with the money they’ve saved, the Heat have pulled off one of the more impressive financial balancing acts of the summer.
There were doubts when Miami moved on from Powell. After the way the last month has unfolded, those doubts look a lot smaller.
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Klay Thompson Already Faces Real Heat Pressure From One Rising Wing
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The real question for Miami is whether that mix eventually shifts the starting conversation. Thompsons age and injury history are part of the calculus, while Larssons progress as both a defender and scorer gives the Heat a possible in-house answer if his efficiency from deep keeps climbing. For a team that values two-way reliability, the competition could become one of the more interesting lineup decisions of the season. [Read more 🡒]