Miami guard Norman Powell will make his first NBA All-Star appearance on Sunday, nearly nine seasons after entering the league in 2015. The veteran, now in the final year of a five-year, $90 million contract originally signed with Portland, said he wants to remain with the Heat beyond this season.
“Hopefully there’s some good synergy from what they’ve seen that I bring to the table,” Powell told reporters, adding that he envisions a long-term future in Miami if a new deal can be reached. The 30-year-old is averaging a career-best 23.0 points and leads the team in scoring while remaining eligible for an extension.
The All-Star Game will be played at the Intuit Dome—the new arena of the Clippers, the club with which Powell narrowly missed an All-Star nod last season—adding a touch of symmetry to his long-awaited selection.
Bulls Adjusting on the Fly
The Chicago Bulls continue to navigate a roster overhaul that brought in seven new players, six of whom log significant minutes. Guard Anfernee Simons called the situation “not normal” and said the group must “learn on the fly.”
Simons, Collin Sexton and Jaden Ivey are all in contract years, giving Chicago plenty of motivation even if wins are hard to come by.
Edgecombe Claims Rising Stars MVP
VJ Edgecombe (76ers) captured Rising Stars MVP honors after leading Team Vince to back-to-back victories. The guard poured in 17 points in the semifinal against Team T-Mac, scoring the final 10—including a step-back game-winner over Cam Spencer (Grizzlies)—to close out a 41-36 win.
Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) paced the opposition with 10 points, while Tre Johnson (Wizards) added eight in a matchup that featured his Washington teammate Kyshawn George.
Edgecombe completed the title run at the free-throw line in the championship game, joining former Rising Stars MVPs Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jamal Murray and Cade Cunningham.
Source: Hoops Wire
