Report: Norman Powell to Heat, John Collins to Clippers in three-team trade with Jazz

It may not be the blockbuster some in Miami were hoping for, but the Heat just got a big offseason win.

The Heat, Clippers and Jazz got together for a trade broken by Shams Charania of ESPN, that shakes out like this:

Miami receives: Norman Powell
LA Clippers receive: John Collins
Utah receives: Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson, a 2027 Clippers second-round pick

Maybe it’s not a home-run trade that vaults the Heat into contention, but this trade is at least a double down the line (that might stretch into a triple) because Powell’s skill set is what’s called for in Miami. The Heat needed to add more shooting and some shot creation on the wing. Enter Powell, who will start at the two and averaged 21.8 points a game for the Clippers last season, shooting 41.8% from beyond the arc, and he was a borderline All-Star. He can play off the ball (a 62% eFG% last season on spot-ups), he runs the floor and is excellent at offense early in the clock, and he can attack closeouts and be a secondary shot creator. Also, Powell is a plus defender on the other end of the court. He was a Clippers fan favorite and the Heat picked him up for two guys not in the heart of their rotation in Love and Anderson.

For the Clippers, part of this is financial (as Michael Scotto of Hoopshype notes). Powell is entering the final year of his contract at $20.5 million, and he has earned an extension. The Clippers want to keep their books clean starting in 2027 (when James Harden’s and Kawhi Leonard’s contracts are up) and didn’t want to pay the years Powell rightfully seeks. Collins is in the final year of his contract as well, making $26.6 million this season.

With this trade, the Clippers have assembled a potentially threatening front line, with Kawhi Leonard now at the three and the lob threat that is Collins at the four, followed by Ivica Zubac at center. Collins averaged 19 points and 8.2 assists per game last season and can score inside (62% of his shot attempts last season came from within 10 feet), but can also space the floor, shooting 39.9% from 3-point range on 3.7 attempts per game. As long as James Harden and Leonard stay largely healthy this season, the Clippers’ offense is going to make them a dangerous team (they won 50 games a season ago, the same number as the Lakers and Nuggets). Their defense may well be their undoing, they will miss Powell on the perimeter.

The Clippers still have their $5.1 million bi-annual exception to utilize and still need guard depth (hello Bradley Beal after a buyout?).

At first glance, this appears to be an underwhelming return for Utah for a key trade asset in Collins (although it’s about what Atlanta received when it traded him). Utah does create a massive trade exception, and it will likely waive Love or flip him in another trade. Anderson likely sticks around as a veteran mentor on a young team, and the rebuilding Jazz get a pick.