The Miami Heat have the NBA's most impactful offseason acquisition

Norman Powell’s breakout year in Miami is fast becoming one of the most underrated, and potentially franchise-changing storylines in the league. Since arriving in the offseason in the three-team swap that sent Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love out, Powell has emerged not just as a scorer, but as a cornerstone for the Heat’s contention hopes.

At age 32, Powell is putting up 26.1 points per game on 48.2% from the field, 47.9% from three, and 93.2% from the free-throw line. Those splits are absurd --especially for a player on a new team -- and they place him at #1 among all players who switched teams this season, ahead of names like Kevin Durant (25.1 PPG) and Michael Porter Jr. (23.2 PPG).

Norman Powell is number 1 in PPG for players on a new team this season

1. Norman Powell - 26.1 PPG
2. Kevin Durant - 25.1 PPG
3. Michael Porter Jr - 23.2 PPG

Norman is on track to making his 1st All Star appearance so far 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5pMQu8Dp2U
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) November 16, 2025

What makes this performance even more impressive is that he’s doing it without Tyler Herro shouldering massive usage on the wing. Miami gave up very little on paper in the trade Anderson and Love weren’t major rotation staples, yet they’ve landed one of the most efficient two-way guards in the league.

Powell isn’t just scoring he’s contributing across the board, averaging around 4.1 boards, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He’s become a go-to scorer, a glue guy, and one of the most trusted teammates in Miami’s rotation.

Norman Powell is having an All-STAR YEAR with the Miami Heat:

26.1 PPG (career-high)
4.1 RPG (career-high)
2.4 APG (career-high)
7.9 FGM (career-high)
3.5 3PM (career-high)
47.9 3P% (career-high)
93.2 FT% (career-high)
66.5 TS% (career-high)

We really got this demon for free. pic.twitter.com/rijZGA9Yfz
— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) November 16, 2025

If he keeps playing at this level, Powell is absolutely on track for his first All-Star appearance, a remarkable feat for someone who was traded for essentially role contracts. In short, Miami didn’t just add a scorer: they secured a leader, a bucket-getter, and possibly a long-term pillar of their core.

Most of the Heat's extension talks have stemmed from the decision looming for All-Star guard Tyler Herro, but with the way Norman Powell has played, his upcoming extension window holds equal importance.

When Herro returns (possibly as soon as Monday against the Knicks), it will be interesting to see how Powell and Herro gel, expect Powell to get better looks, higher assist averages, and Miami's offense to continue its high powered start.

Acquiring Norman Powell was viewed as a great trade at the time, but even now it has still blown its expectations out of the water. Powell has kept the Heat afloat while Tyler Herro has been out and has opened up the offensive side for guys like Jaime Jaquez Jr, Simone Fontecchio, Andrew Wiggins, and many others.

Bam Adebayo on Norman Powell:

"He wants a win. Doesn't matter who scores. Doesn't matter if he gets his. You know, at the end of the day, he wants a win. And I like having Norman around. He's slowly starting to creep and be one of the co-pilots for this team"

(via @MiamiHEAT) pic.twitter.com/2Bwr1Ar5SX
— Heat Diehards (@HeatDiehards) November 16, 2025

The Heat’s front office deserves serious credit. What looked like a savvy mid-tier trade is already turning into a franchise-defining move, maybe opening a new championship window.

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