Free agent guard Norman Powell will join the list of Pistons‘ targets in their search for another shooter and playmaker, sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required).
Powell’s future in Miami is a little less certain after the Heat reached an agreement late Monday night to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. The team will be hard capped at the first apron once that trade is finalized and currently has a projected $18.1MM available to fill four roster spots.
If Andrew Wiggins picks up his $30.2MM player option for next season and Miami can’t offload any other salary, its offer to Wiggins will have to start at about $12MM to $13MM per year, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). At age 33, Powell will be looking for a raise from the $20.5MM he earned this season, especially after making his first All-Star appearance.
Powell became a primary scoring option after being traded to the Heat last summer, averaging 21.7 PPG in 58 games while shooting 47% from the field and 38% from three-point range.
Those numbers would make him a perfect fit for Detroit, which needs another offensive weapon to help relieve the burden on Cade Cunningham. The Pistons also have interest in Tyler Herro, who is moving from Miami to Milwaukee in the Antetokounmpo deal, but Stein and Fischer say that Powell could be an option if they can’t acquire Herro.
Other projected targets for Detroit, according to the authors, include Hornets guard Coby White, Thunder guard Isaiah Joe, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Lakers guard Austin Reaves.