Inside The Heat

NBA Fans Deem Miami Heat Clear Winners Of Bradley Beal-Norman Powell Ordeal

Jayden Armant|
Jan 3, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots the ball against LA Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) during the third quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 3, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots the ball against LA Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) during the third quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Miami HeatLos Angeles Clippers

Once upon a time, the Miami Heat were considered a potential frontrunner to land former Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal.

That is, until they traded for veteran guard Norman Powell instead. And now, Beal heads to Powell's former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. With these deals, the Heat and Clippers are now in Twitter discussions over who really won their respective acquisition.

Many are favoring Miami, as they believe Powell is currently the better player.

Powell was a borderline All-Star last season, averaging a career-high 21.8 points on 48.4 percent shooting. His star production kept Los Angeles afloat amid the absence of Kawhi Leonard for more than half the season.

Meanwhile, Beal continued declining statistically, averaging just 17 points and dipping nearly five percent in 3-point shooting. Health was once again a concern, as he missed a good chunk of the season for the fourth straight season.

Still, some argue that Beal's ceiling is higher on a new team, especially considering the addition of John Collins at power forward. In addition, the Clippers were able to get Beal cheap instead of absorbing a massive taxing contract.

"The massive upgrade at the 4 with John Collins + being able to replace Norm’s scoring for free with Bradley Beal makes the team better than they were last season," one Clippers fan tweeted.

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Jayden Armant
JAYDEN ARMANT

Jayden is a journalism school graduate of Howard University. He was the 2024 recipient of the Terez Paylor scholarship award. He previously worked at the Orlando Sentinel.

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