New NBA Rumors on Norman Powell's Potential Landing Spot After Heat's Giannis Trade

After the Miami Heat acquired star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night, many expect them to be out of the running for All-Star wing and impending free agent Norman Powell.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that the Detroit Pistons "intend to add Powell, who is coming off his first All-Star season, to their list of potential offseason targets as they look to add shooting and playmaking in support of star guard Cade Cunningham."

Stein and Fischer noted that Detroit's list of targets also includes sharpshooting guard Coby White and two-way wing Isaiah Joe. The Pistons are reportedly also eyeing "players who project to be more difficult to acquire: New Orleans' Trey Murphy III, Dallas' Kyrie Irving and the Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves."

Powell averaged 21.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals across 58 games for the Heat in 2025-26. He was sent to Miami from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-team deal that also included the Utah Jazz.

While the Heat likely would prefer to retain Powell, acquiring Antetokounmpo puts them into a financial bind. The two-time NBA MVP is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract and will become eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension with Miami in January. Unless Powell takes a discount, he will likely be too expensive to retain in South Beach.

While Powell would be a strong fit for the Pistons, they also have some work to do before determining whether they can reach his price. Detroit's top priorities this offseason include retaining restricted free agent Jalen Duren and signing wing Ausar Thompson to a rookie-scale extension.

Still, adding Powell would give the Pistons even more firepower next to Cunningham as they try to make a deeper playoff run next season.