The Miami Heat made a huge splash by acquiring future Hall of Fame power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in a major trade, but team president Pat Riley still has a significant amount of heavy lifting ahead if he wants to mold this group into a legitimate championship threat.
As free agency approaches, Riley will need to carefully construct the rest of the roster by bringing in players whose skill sets complement both Antetokounmpo and center Bam Adebayo. At the same time, Miami has a key decision looming regarding its only unrestricted free agent, guard Norman Powell.
Powell just wrapped up one of the strongest individual campaigns of his career in 2025, earning his first All-Star nod while putting up 21.7 points per game and connecting on 38 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Even though the Heat would ideally love to retain Powell and combine his elite floor-spacing with Antetokounmpo’s interior dominance, ESPN’s Shams Charania has suggested that a return to South Beach for the veteran appears increasingly unlikely.
“We can probably take Norman Powell off this starting 5. The Heat are expecting him not to be there this offseason,” Charania stated during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
With Powell projected to suit up for a different franchise in 2026, several Eastern Conference teams with championship aspirations could emerge as logical suitors for the 33-year-old marksman.
Heat projected to lose Powell to Celtics, Pistons or Raptors
Cooper Kleinberg of Pro Football Network has identified the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors as the most plausible destinations for Powell.
“Norman Powell has remained one of the most underrated scoring guards this decade. Unfortunately, there aren’t many teams able to offer him the contract he deserves. The veteran’s best bet is to take a short-term deal with a team in need of scoring,” Kleinberg wrote.
The Celtics may trade All-Star forward Jaylen Brown in the near future, and should that happen, Powell could slide in as a viable replacement. While he doesn’t bring the same two-way versatility as Brown, the UCLA product boasts considerable playoff experience and would inject additional shooting into a Boston rotation that could benefit from greater offensive punch.
Following their trade of Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Pistons now possess one of the most favorable salary-cap situations across the league, positioning them to make a significant move. Detroit’s struggles with consistent three-point shooting and floor spacing were a major factor in their second-round playoff elimination at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Powell would instantly address that weakness and create a potent backcourt pairing alongside Cade Cunningham.
The Raptors, meanwhile, could also be on the hunt for backcourt reinforcements this summer, and a reunion with Powell would give Toronto a reliable scoring threat to line up next to Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Powell began his career with the Raptors and spent his first five-and-a-half seasons there, playing an integral role in their 2019 championship run.
Ultimately, Miami would be wise to exhaust every option in attempting to keep Powell, but the 6-foot-3 shooting guard is poised to command a significant pay increase, and Boston, Detroit, or Toronto could very well step up and offer him exactly that.
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