Miami Heat Have Interesting Norman Powell Decision To Make

Norman Powell not only finished 24th in the NBA in scoring last season, he did so as a relative bargain.

The Los Angeles Clippers paid him roughly $19.2 million, on the fourth season of a five-season contract that Powell signed with the Portland Trail Blazers starting with his age 28 season in 2021-22. This season, after acquiring Powell for Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson, the Miami Heat will pay the guard $20.5 million.

But then, after this season, Powell's contract is set to expire. That provides the Heat with flexibility should their season go south and perhaps they look to trade Powell at the deadline. It also serves as a motivator to Powell, as he tries to secure a new contract, and he's already performing at a high level for the Jamaican national team.

Recently, at Five Reasons Sports Network, we have heard that the Heat are weighing a different approach, impressed enough by Powell's demeanor and potential (as not just a player but a leader) that they could attempt to extend his contract early. We discussed this possibility on a recent episode of the Five on the Floor podcast.

There are some complicating factors to consider. One is Powell's age; he is a late bloomer without much overall wear, but he's still in his 30s when the Heat seem to be pivoting more to a youth movement. Two, the Heat's salary cap is fairly clean going forward, cleaner than it's been in some time; extending Powell at a significant number would cut into that space (for tax purposes too) in future years. Three, it's unclear how smooth the chemistry will be with Tyler Herro in the backcourt, and Herro's desire for an even larger extension could create a money crunch.

Still, something along the lines of three seasons for $75-85 million could be palatable to both parties. So don't be surprised if you hear more movement towards that soon.

MIAMI HEAT’S NORMAN POWELL CHANNELS MICHAEL JORDAN’S ICONIC FLU GAME IN FIBA

NBA fans got a great preview of the Miami Heat’s most significant addition of the offseason in the FIBA pre-qualifiers.

Norman Powell led Jamaica with a victory over Costa Rica, as he finished with 34 points, two assists, and three steals on 53 percent shooting and 55 percent from three-point range. The most impressive aspect of his performance was the fact he was able to summon his inner Michael Jordan and play through flu-like symptoms.

Norman Powell battled through a virus in Game 2 for Jamaica, dropping 34 points.

Powell: "I had a mission, a goal in mind when I committed to this team — to help them advance. I wasn’t going to pass up the chance… didn’t want to leave my teammates hanging."

(🎥:… pic.twitter.com/y25EwTidZG

“The last 48 hours after game one was a lot of good and a lot of bad,” Powell said. “During the game, I was feeling very fatigued, body sore, and I thought it was just being tired from jet lag. After that, I got a little treatment done, and I started throwing up. Then bad stomach pains, diarrhea, and really sick. Some type of food poisoning, and something I don’t know what it is, but I went from that to being bedridden all the way up until game two.”

Despite feeling very sick, Powell displayed plenty of toughness and leadership because he didn’t want to leave his teammates alone in a must-win game for the pre-qualifiers to advance in the group stage of FIBA.

“I’m always a person that’s going to lay it all out there,” Powell continued. “I always talk about going out on my shield. I had a mission and a goal in mind when committing to this team and helping them advance.”

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