The Chicago Bulls' signing of Norman Powell this offseason to a two-year, $44 million deal this offseason was a smart move—perhaps the smartest of Bryson Graham's first offseason at the helm of the organization.
Of course, the trade for Nic Claxton at no cost other than the team's cap space deserves its flowers as well. But Powell is the type of veteran that can be an immediate floor-raiser for this Bulls roster, and his experience and perimeter shooting can help give the team the infrastructure it needs to develop Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis in the frontcourt.
Beyond that, the inclusion of a team option in Powell's deal makes him an immanently tradeable asset if the opportunity presents itself. In signing Powell, Graham presented the Bulls not only with a major addition but with some much-needed flexibility as well.
But where does the benefit fall for Powell? After another majorly productive season with the Miami Heat, Powell reportedly garnered interest from the Detroit Pistons—a team that could easily be poised to enter contention this season.
This decision on Powell's part, then, is another gamble on his All-Star upside. If he's able to put up another season of major production, he may just be able to secure one more deal with a true contender before his NBA career comes to an end.
Norman Powell's signing is a gamble on himself—and the Bulls could be the major benefactor
Powell has long been a solid, rotational NBA player. But by the time he arrived with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2021-22, it seemed as though he was destined to finish out his career in a sixth-man sort of role. He skill set, at the very least, perfectly inclined him to provide some additional offensive punch off the bench for a deep roster.
Across his first two full seasons in Los Angeles, Powell started just 11 games. But he averaged 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while knocking down 41.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc in that span. He finished in the top-five of Sixth Man of the Year voting in both those seasons. The efficiency was there, just not the volume.
Then Powell got his shot to start again with the Clippers in 2024-25, making the most of it and relaying that campaign into an offseason trade to the Miami Heat. Although his 3-point percentage saw a dip, the rest of his production stayed virtually the same between 2024-25 and 2025-26, and Powell earned the first All-Star nod of his career.
Increased touches gave Powell the opportunity to enhance his value as a starting-caliber shooting guard, and he should have plenty of them this season in Chicago. Although Josh Giddey is the Bulls' primary on-ball threat, he'll need Powell to help relieve some of the pressure from other teams' primary defenders, and neither Buzelis nor Wilson is going to be such a dominant force that the offense runs purely through them.
Powell's decision to sign with Chicago, then, gives him another chance to play at an All-Star level, if not to make the actual All-Star game again. In Detroit, Powell would've been a highly valuable 3-point shooter, but there's a real chance he would've been relegated to a bench role depending on his balance with Duncan Robinson..
With the Bulls, Powell has a chance to truly benefit from another major campaign. Either there will be a team with major cap assets in need of additional 3-point shooting seeking him out at the trade deadline, or Chicago will be able to shop him in the offseason.
But at the end of the day, this contract is another sign of Powell's willingness to bet on himself. Hopefully it pays off for both parties.
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