The Miami Heat's season has largely been up-and-down but for the first month-and-a-half of the season, the team was viewed as one of the stronger teams in the Eastern Conference. Many expected the team to come back down to Earth but the reason for thieir phenomenal early stretch of the season was recent acquisition Norman Powell.
Bleacher Report released an article, naming every team's most important upcoming free agency decision as we reach the final stretch of the regular season. The Heat's decision is what to do with Powell.
"The Miami Heat essentially got Norman Powell for free in an offseason trade, but the low cost of acquisition doesn't mean they'll just let the high-scoring shooting guard get away for nothing," the article wrote. "Powell's late-career renaissance continued this season. He was rewarded with his first All-Star nod on the strength of another 20-plus-point scoring average and a meaningfully improved isolation scoring game. Powell is 32 but shows no signs of slowing down and is one of the most efficient high-volume shooters around."
Powell was one of the stronger scorers on the Los Angeles Clippers last season but was dealt to Miami as a salary dump before entering the final year of his contract. The Heat have multiple contract decisions to make this offseason.
"What's that worth to a Heat team that is already paying score-first guard Tyler Herro $33 million next year while also dealing with the possibility of committing more than the $30 million Andrew Wiggins has on his player option if he declines it," the article added. "Terry Rozier and Simone Fontecchio's salaries are also coming off the books in July, so maybe the Heat will find the wiggle room they need to beat the market on Powell, who should command $20-25 million pretty easily."
If the Heat move on from Tyler Herro this summer, Powell could be an easy candidate to return. Herro is not under contract following next season so he is a prime trade candidate this offseason. Powell will be 33 by the beginning of next season, meaning there may be teams out there afraid to hand out a hefty contract to him.
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