NBA Fans Left Perplexed by Three-Team Deal Involving Norman Powell, John Collins

Not every move of the NBA offseason makes sense in the moment.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) heads down court after a 3-point basket. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on a three-team deal Monday morning involving the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz.

Norman Powell is jumping from the Clippers to the Heat, John Collins from the Jazz to the Clippers, and Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson from the Heat to the Jazz.

The immediate upswing of the deal is the Heat leveling up a bit on the wing, with Powell a quality contributor that can help lead a solid backcourt alongside Tyler Herro. But beyond that angle, fans were largely perplexed by the deal.

Were the Clippers really not interested in coming to a longer term agreement with Powell? At what point of their ongoing rebuild do the Jazz currently see themselves? And are the Heat done making moves, or is this step one in a larger plan for the offseason?

More than anything though, the general reaction was one of confusion.

I don’t understand this from any directions💯 https://t.co/xN7vsbT72Z

— subscribe to the state of the league patreon (@JoestarJokic) July 7, 2025

excuse me what is this https://t.co/tlzPGUDDdZ

— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) July 7, 2025

Goood morning? https://t.co/5yWTpQmrHj

— KENNY BEECHAM (@KOT4Q) July 7, 2025

i just can’t be reading this correctly like there’s no way this is actually on my screen https://t.co/xMZyOKPSUt

— sox (@jazzsox) July 7, 2025

I don’t understand this for the Clippers unless they couldn’t agree on an extension

I LOVE Norm for the Heat. Gives them some much needed juice on offense. https://t.co/1eLveW29XM

— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) July 7, 2025

Clippers didn’t want to extend Norm at whatever number he was looking for, I guess. This seems like a good price for Miami regardless. They’ll pay the tax now, it seems https://t.co/Z1aSWmGi05

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) July 7, 2025

First thought: great trade for the Clippers. Collins will fit in well with Harden.

Second thought: I guess the Heat are not getting Beal.

Third thought: the Jazz continue to have the most overrated front office in the NBA. They don’t do anything particularly well. https://t.co/dnecF4ojor

— Subscribe to the You Know Ball Patreon (@TrillBroDude) July 7, 2025

Fans were especially disappointed with the Jazz’s end of the deal, as it was yet another example of the franchise mismanaging their return on a veteran asset.

So Utah turned Sexton & Collins into 2 second round picks? That seems like bad business https://t.co/cmzdyj1qq4

— Jake Reetz (@jajareetz) July 7, 2025

Nothing the Jazz have done in the last 3 years has made any sense https://t.co/YGSw1ToarJ

— Andrew Fenichel (@Andrew_Fenichel) July 7, 2025

Collins only nets a second? A couple weeks after the Jazz had to bolt on a second in order to trade away Sexton?

I know it's all about clearing room for players but these deals feel absolutely abysmal for Utah. https://t.co/t6Iv5mLC7T

— Jeff Hansen (@rakoto10) July 7, 2025

There are so many moves during the NBA offseason it can be hard to keep track of them, and we won’t know the true results of them until we see new players on the floor with their new teams this fall.

That said, when the collective response to your team’s trade is, “uhhhh, what?” it is likely not the outcome you were hoping to receive.

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