Clippers send Norman Powell to Miami, acquire John Collins in 3-team trade

Clippers want to keep Kawhi, Harden for 2026

The Los Angeles Clippers are doubling down on building the team around Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, according to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - NBA free agency continues to heat up and after some big trades across the league, the Los Angeles Clippers finally made a splash.

Details of the three-team trade

What we know:

On Monday, ESPN reported that the Clippers, Utah Jazz and Miami Heat agreed to a trade that sends Norman Powell to Miami and John Collins to LA. Also, the three-team trade sends Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson to Utah, along with the Clippers' 2027 second-round pick.

With the trade, the Clippers gain a high-caliber power forward, which will presumably allow Kawhi Leonard to return to his preferred small forward role.

"Miami is acquiring a major scoring punch in Powell while the Clippers find a dynamic lob threat. Both Bowell and Collins are coming off strong seasons. Utah has turned Collins' expiring deal into an asset in the form a second-rounder in return," explained ESPN's Shams Charania.

The backstory:

The LA Clippers first acquired Powell at the mid-season trade deadline in 2022.

The 2024-25 NBA season became a breakout season for Norman Powell. Along with James Harden, he was one of the offensive answers during Kawhi Leonard's absence.

It's bittersweet for Clipper Nation as Powell quickly became a fan-favorite and made waves with his "Addiction by subtraction" quote after Paul George's departure.

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This season, Powell averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 60 games played.

Dig deeper:

After another disappointing first-round playoff exit, the Clippers are aiming to make the best of their roster around Leonard and Harden.

The Clippers are also reportedly keeping tabs on Bradley Beal and Chris Paul.

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The Source: Information from ESPN.

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