Miami Heat trades looking great so far

Another trade sent the franchise's all-time three-point leader, Duncan Robinson, to the Detroit Pistons as part of a sign-and-trade that Robinson arranged, as the Heat had decided to move on. Few thought much of the return, and there was actually a possibility that the Heat could waive-and-stretch Simone Fontecchio, even though he had strong games against Miami.

It's a good thing the Heat didn't.

Fontecchio has been a standout off the bench, averaging 13.7 points in 20.3 minutes. He's not as lethal a gravity-getting shooter as Robinson could be, but the results have exceptional, especially on catch-and-shoots. He's at 61 percent from the field overall, and 50 percent from three-point range on 5.3 attempts.

Then there's the prize of the offseason.

The Heat got Norman Powell for next to nothing, just Kyle Anderson (who wasn't slotted for major time) and Kevin Love (whose role, while important, was now relegated to locker room guidance and vibes). The Heat were happy with the low key Powell from the start, after dealing with the distractions of Jimmy Butler. They've been even more pleased since the real games started.

Powell had 29 points against the Knicks in a surprising 115-107 victory, not only scoring smoothly but also contributing steals and assists. He's now averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists, and his production doesn't figure to drop off much when Tyler Herro returns. He may become even more efficient, and fulfill the All-Star prediction that some Heat officials were making prior to the season.

We will see if all this holds up, but it appears the Heat made the right decisions, not holding onto some of the players on the roster, and with the replacements that arrived.

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