"Powell's first campaign in South Beach seemed like a tale of two halves. The first half of the season, Powell's trade acquisition made it look like another robbery pulled off from Pat Riley and the Heat front office- who traded for Powell in exchange for just Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson last summer- two aging vets that didn't have consistent roles."
"Powell dealt with an assortment of different nagging injuries during Miami's second half end of season push, most notably a lingering groin injury. It must have affected his play on the court, because his near 24-points per game numbers to start the year crashed all the way down to 17.5 post All-Star break."
"At Riley's end of season press conference, he made it a point to emphasize how much he will be valuing availability moving forward with his players. That notion doesn't help Powell's case, who is an unrestricted free agent this summer, to return to Miami."
Norman Powell completed his first season with the Miami Heat in 2025-26, playing 58 games after being acquired for Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson. He began the season impressively, providing immediate scoring impact and earning his first All-Star selection as Miami's sole representative. However, nagging injuries, particularly a lingering groin issue, derailed his production in the second half. His scoring dropped from approximately 24 PPG early in the season to 17.5 PPG post-All-Star break, leading to a demotion to the bench in favor of Tyler Herro. At age 33 and entering free agency after missing 24 games, Powell's injury history complicates his contract negotiations with the Heat.
Read at Hot Hot Hoops - Miami HEAT NBA Blog
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