After an exciting lead-up to the 2025 NBA Draft and a lot of activity at the start of the new league year, things calmed down a bit over the holiday weekend regarding NBA trades.
However, on Monday, we saw our first big move in a few days with an interesting three-team trade involving the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and Utah Jazz.
As reported by ESPN, the Heat will be getting Norman Powell, while the Clippers will add John Collins. The Jazz will receive a second-round pick in 2027, along with Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love.
This offseason, Miami has been looking for extra scoring options, and after missing out on Kevin Durant and seemingly moving away from pursuing Jonathan Kuminga, they successfully acquired Powell after he had a standout year.
Last year, Powell scored an average of 21.8 points per game for the Clippers, shooting at 48.4% from the field, 41.8% from three-point range, and 80.4% from the free-throw line. He stepped into a starting position after Paul George left the team and really excelled in that role. Now, he will team up with Tyler Herro in Miami’s backcourt to enhance their shooting and playmaking abilities. While both players can score a lot of points quickly, there are doubts about whether they can create opportunities for their teammates as much as Miami needs.
On the other hand, the Clippers are moving on from Powell before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, when he is expected to ask for a higher salary than his current $20 million per year. They have also signed John Collins to strengthen their frontcourt this summer, adding him alongside Brook Lopez who was brought in to support Ivica Zubac.
Collins had a solid season with the struggling Jazz during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 52.7% from the field, 39.9% from three-point range, and 84.8% from the free-throw line. Los Angeles is counting on him to keep up his shooting success from the past two years in Utah to help create space alongside Zubac and Lopez.
This move gives up some depth in the backcourt for more strength in the frontcourt, while also relying on Bogdan Bogdanovic to help replace some of the scoring lost with Powell’s departure. Additionally, the Clippers might consider pursuing Bradley Beal once he finishes his expected buyout with the Suns.
The Jazz have successfully arranged a trade for Collins, who has a $26.5 million salary that is ending soon. They also received a second-round pick and did not take on any long-term salary. Anderson is another player whose contract could be traded; he has a non-guaranteed $9.7 million for next season. It’s likely that the 36-year-old Love will be bought out, giving him the chance to join a new team.
