Norman Powell thrived to begin his debut season with the Miami Heat, earning his first All-Star selection in his age-32 campaign before injuries and inconsistency got the best of him.

While the score-first wing has expressed a desire to remain in Miami long-term, according to Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, the franchise may be better off letting its leading scorer “walk away” in free agency.

Norman Powell Predicted To Leave Heat in 2026 NBA Free Agency

Powell has played for four organizations in 11 years, progressing from an athletic, energizing bench slasher to a high-volume scorer. Unlike most players, the 2015 No. 46 pick peaked in his 30s, with his top two scoring seasons coming in the 2024-25 campaign with the Los Angeles Clippers (21.8 points per game) and this year with Miami, when he averaged a team-best 21.7 ppg.

Even so, Powell’s relatively small stature (6-foot-3), defensive limitations, and injury concerns have cast doubt on his free agency outlook.

After seeing his scoring production dip to 17.5 ppg post-All-Star break, the 2019 NBA champion was relegated to a bench role in Miami’s 127-126 season-ending overtime play-in road loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The veteran logged just 11 points as the Heat leaned heavily on star shooting guard Tyler Herro and defensive-minded point guard Davion Mitchell in the backcourt.

Given Powell’s age (33), somewhat one-dimensional skill set, and the lingering possibility of a sudden decline, ESPN’s Bobby Marks anticipates that he’ll warrant a three-year, $65 million contract with a team option in the final season. Such a deal would leave wiggle room for Miami to pursue stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo on the trade market and potentially add some much-needed juice to its Bam Adebayo-led roster.

MORE:‘He Didn’t Answer the Call’ — 7-Time All-Star Blasts Chet Holmgren’s Lack of ‘Accountability’ After Game 7 No-Show vs. Victor Wembanyama

However, Hughes foresees the Heat letting Powell, who just wrapped up a five-year, $90,000,000 contract, leave in free agency to prioritize future financial flexibility and internal development.

“The Miami Heat have plenty of reasons to let the 33-year-old shooting guard walk away,” Hughes began in his Sunday article titled, “2026 NBA Free Agency Predictions for Every Team.”

“First, they’d probably need to extend Powell’s new deal out multiple years to beat the market. Miami’s broader plans are uncertain and could include a superstar trade, but most fallback options involve preserving cap space for 2027. Committing to Powell’s decline phase wouldn’t make sense in that scenario — not with Tyler Herro playing the same position (with many of the same flaws).

“Perhaps if Andrew Wiggins declines his player option and departs, the Heat would consider Powell more of a retention priority. Even then, though, Miami’s in-house options include Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jović. The latter might one day stay on the floor and make enough 3s to replicate Powell’s production at a different position.

“The Heat landed Powell for virtually nothing last offseason, and he outplayed his $20 million salary for long stretches. Those facts aren’t enough to make him a surefire keeper,” the analyst concluded.

Losing a nightly 20-point scorer coming off a career year for nothing would be a tough pill to swallow. Still, Miami’s core as currently constructed was only good enough for a 10th-place finish (43-39) in a wide-open Eastern Conference.

With teams like Charlotte, the Indiana Pacers, and perhaps even the Washington Wizards poised to take major steps forward in the East next season, re-signing Powell appears unlikely to move the needle, barring a league-altering blockbuster trade.

Chet Holmgren capped off a nightmarish Western Conference finals series against the San Antonio Spurs by disappearing in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 111-103 Game 7 home loss on Saturday.

After being dominated by Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, Holmgren sidestepped a question about their individual rivalry, keeping the focus on his team. The All-Star big man’s passive comments irked former NBA star Joe Johnson, who went in on Holmgren for his lack of personal accountability following his critical no-show.

Joe Johnson Calls Out Chet Holmgren’s Timid Game 7 vs. Spurs, Postgame Deflection

Boasting home-court advantage, Holmgren and Co. had a prime opportunity to close out San Antonio and advance to their second straight NBA Finals. While OKC superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed up in Game 7, logging a game-high 35 points behind his tough bucket-getting ability, his supporting cast withered under the bright lights.

Holmgren, in particular, had a muted impact, as the 7-foot-1 big man finished with just 4 points and 4 rebounds on 1-for-2 shooting (50%), with both of his field-goal attempts coming in the contest’s first two and a half minutes.

Despite recently earning his first All-NBA selection, Holmgren repeatedly shied away from offensive opportunities, not attempting a single shot in the second half as he often lingered in the corners, bobbled passes, and showed no signs of aggressiveness.

The Thunder standout watched hopelessly as Wembanyama’s 22-point, 7-rebound effort, combined with impressive shot-making from the Spurs’ complementary players, sent his squad home.

MORE:‘Stop Calling SGA a Flopper’ — 4-Time NBA Champion Defends Thunder Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

When asked postgame about Wembanyama seemingly trying to get in his head with increased physicality, including bumps after plays, Holmgren shifted the focus back to OKC.

“At the end of the day, it’s always about us trying to win the basketball game, us as a collective, the Thunder team trying to win the basketball game, and that’s what it’s always going to be,” Holmgren said, looking dejected.

On Sunday’s edition of “Nightcap,” Johnson slammed the 2025 NBA champion’s mindset, arguing that he made life easy on Wembanyama.

“Hell, you played right into his damn hands,” Johnson began. “I don’t give a damn ’cause he blocked your shot a time or two, you gotta keep going at that man’s neck, bro, because the times that I thought Chet was catching the ball, he wasn’t even looking at the goal, man.”

The seven-time All-Star also accused Holmgren of dodging accountability for his shortcomings.

“Accountability is everything, fellas, this is what we always talk about. This is why Shai is who he is, and Chet had to know, bro, that that man had smoke with him just by the competition level,” Johnson continued.

“You can tell when you walk out there on the court or previous interactions that we’ve been into, like, bro, you’ve gotta bring it tonight. … He didn’t answer the call, fellas. He didn’t answer the call, and I don’t like all that ‘We, we’ neither. I like for you to take accountability and be like, ‘Bro, I gotta be better.'”

Across seven West finals outings, Holmgren averaged 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, shooting 51.0%. With his five-year, $239,250,000 max contract extension set to kick in next season, questions have already begun mounting about whether the Thunder may be best served to shop the 24-year-old for a more effective Wembanyama stopper this offseason.

The Indiana Fever signed veteran coach Stephanie White in 2024 to lead a young but talented team featuring top picks Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, along with No. 2 pick Kelsey Mitchell.

After an injury-ridden 2025 season in which White led the team to the semifinals, the Fever picked up steam early this time around, winning four of their first six games. However, their recent two-game road trip went sour, with back-to-back defeats to Golden State (90-88) and Portland (100-84).

Indiana not only dropped to 4-4, but Clark and White also had a tense moment during the Fire matchup.

Cheryl Miller Weighs In on Stephanie White-Caitlin Clark In-Game Tension

The incident occurred during the timeout in the game vs. Portland, when White and Clark were spotted arguing in the huddle, presumably over a defensive sequence that had gone awry.

Clark said something that set White off. White angrily told Clark to get off the bench and asked rookie Raven Johnson to take the guard’s seat.

A visibly frustrated Clark stood, shook her head, and looked as if she were about to leave the huddle, but stopped at the last second, realizing it might further disrupt the team’s rhythm.

The incident went viral, and WNBA legends turned analysts Cheryl Miller and Sue Bird weighed in, with the former USC star suggesting it stemmed primarily from frustration with the team’s failure to execute plays on the road.

“Right now, it’s frustration. And unfortunately, it’s boiling over, and it’s being seen,” Miller said. “It’s one thing to have it behind closed doors, but (it’s another thing) when it spills over, and when the coach has to basically say, ‘You know what Caitlin, enough is enough, this is too disruptive, in and out, take a seat.'”

Meanwhile, Bird, apparently anticipating the fans’ and the media’s ability to blow the incident out of proportion in the coming days, seemed to douse the fiery exchange with cold water.

However, she agreed with Miller’s take that the exchange stemmed from frustration.

“I agree. I think it’s frustration,” Bird said. “It’s also, like, not that crazy. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this. It doesn’t have some deep meaning to it. I’ve had moments like that with coaches. I think it speaks to player-coach relationships.”

SEE ALSO:‘Our Typical Substitution Pattern’ – Stephanie White Reveals Why Fever Subbed Out Caitlin Clark Early In Loss to Fire

White has long been known in league circles as a fiery, intense coach who gets the best out of her team. Having guided Indiana to the 2015 WNBA Finals, her impressive regular-season head-coaching record across her stints in Indiana and Connecticut speaks volumes about her caliber.

The in-game friction between White and Clark on Saturday was intense, with some fans also suggesting it was driven by their desire to win.

However, they have to be on the same page on Thursday as they play the Atlanta Dream (5-2) in hopes of getting back their momentum.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs dethroned the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-103, in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night at Paycom Center, heading to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years.

The 4-3 win over the Thunder secured the Spurs’ ticket to the NBA Finals, where they will face the New York Knicks in a rematch of the 1999 Finals.

NBA Superstars React to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs Winning the West

The Spurs forced a Game 7 after a 118-91 Game 6 win over the Thunder that tied the best-of-seven series at 3-3,

In Game 7, San Antonio took control from the tip and led by as many as 14 in the first quarter. Oklahoma City regained its footing in the second quarter, taking a 53-49 lead late in the period before San Antonio scored seven straight points to lead by three at the half.

From then on, the Spurs never relinquished the lead, building double-digit leads in the second half and holding off the Thunder’s repeated rallies to claim the Western Conference title.

The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama led the Spurs’ attack with 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. The French center grabbed 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 42 minutes and was named the Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player.

SEE ALSO:‘It’s Time’ — Calls Mount for Thunder to Cut Ties With Chet Holmgren As $239,250,000 Star Struggles in Game 7 Loss

Wembanyama averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.7 blocks in 37.7 minutes across the seven-game series.

His masterful performance in the West Finals earned admiration from past and present NBA superstars, who witnessed his growth from a generational prospect into an efficient and dependable big man on basketball’s premier stage.

Former NBA champion Paul Pierce led the list of superstars who expressed admiration for the Spurs.

Pierce, who helped the Boston Celtics win an NBA title in 2008, appeared stunned by how San Antonio built a championship-caliber team with most of its superstars on rookie deals.

“Never seen this a team best players all on rookie deals in the chip,” Pierce wrote on X.

“He got his team to the Chip first yr in playoffs 😳🤔this may be the start of the Wenbanyama era right now when u type n Victor on google his name is first lol,” the NBA veteran added.

SEE ALSO:‘Dirtiest Player In the NBA’ — Controversy Erupts As Refs Miss Victor Wembanyama’s ‘Brutal Elbow’ in Spurs-Thunder Game 7

Spurs great and four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobili congratulated the current team on earning a ticket back to the NBA Finals.

“Amazing! The @Spurs are going back to the NBA Finals! So so so cool what this young team accomplished. Just 4 more now! 🙏,” the Argentine superstar, who now works for the Spurs as special adviser to basketball operations, said.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, whose team lost to the Spurs in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals, tweeted, “Great basketball.”

Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown echoed Gobert’s comment, writing, “Great game, great series.”

Veteran forward and Wembanyama’s compatriot Nicolas Batum shared his take on the win’s significance for France, writing: “Great sport day for our country 🇫🇷.”

Two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas posted a shoutout to his state-mate and San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, who is from Seattle, Washington.

“S/o to Mitch Johnson!!!! Keep putting on for the state 🏁,” Thomas posted.

Tyrese Maxey and Tyler Herro praised Spurs players Luke Kornet and Keldon Johnson for their quality play and minutes on the way to a Game 7 victory.

“Big time block from Kornet man!!!” Maxey posted.

“Yeaaaaa Keldon!!!,” Herro commented after the 6-foot-5 Spurs forward and Kentucky standout dropped 11 points in 16 minutes of action in Game 7.

MORE:‘Wemby Might Be the GOAT’ — NBA World Reacts As Victor Wembanyama Leads Spurs to First NBA Finals Since 2014

NBA veteran and Olympian Dwight Howard, meanwhile, poked fun at Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, who played fewer minutes.

“Harrison Barnes won the series, and he ain’t even play lol,” Howard wrote.

The Spurs will have a three-day on-court break before the NBA Finals against the well-rested Knicks, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to earn the Eastern Conference title and a ticket to the Finals.

After Las Vegas Aces star and WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson recently commented on how much the public intrudes into her personal life, Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers shared her thoughts on the matter.

Wilson, in a recent interview, said public speculation about whether she’s pregnant wasn’t welcome at all.

Wings’ Paige Bueckers Speaks Out on Public Attention

On Thursday, May 28th, Bueckers spoke during a break in a Wings practice about the situation from her perspective.

“Yeah, I’m not going to lie, it gets annoying, like, sometimes, it gets annoying,” Bueckers said. “People constantly in your business, the paranoia that runs among reporters. Knowing that every single move you make will get analyzed. And, like, on the human side, it’s not ideal and something that you want to deal with.

“Pressure is a privilege,” Bueckers continued. “To have that, to have so many people look up to me, I take that with pride. I have three little siblings so I’ve always wanted to be a great role model. To be somebody that people look up to and, so, I don’t want it to be like … yes, it comes with this business, it comes with the entertainment business.

“And I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Bueckers said.

She also said that it is OK to be human and to make mistakes. Bueckers admitted that she’s someone who does care about other people’s opinions of herself. She also said that she tries to live a Christ-like life in how she shows up.

Entering Saturday’s WNBA action, the Wings are 5-3 this season, one game behind the Minnesota Lynx and a half-game behind the Golden State Valkyries in the Western Conference.

MORE: ‘Pulled a Wemby’ – WNBA World Reacts As Fever’s Caitlin Clark Skips Media After Disappointing Performance

Bueckers has played in all 8 of Dallas’ games this season. She’s averaging 19.4 points per game, is shooting 50.9% from the floor, and 45.7% from beyond the 3-point arc. Bueckers has also been pretty solid at the free-throw line, too, in shooting 79.4% from there.

In addition to all of those statistics, Bueckers is playing the most minutes of any Wings player this season. She’s on the court for an average of 33.3 minutes per game. Bueckers was the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft.