Norman Powell is headed to Chicago. The free agent guard has agreed to a two-year, $45MM deal with the Bulls, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Powell joins Chicago as a potent scorer fresh off an All-Star season in Miami, having averaged nearly 22 points over the past two years.
The departure confirms what had been expected for weeks. As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst warned when he said the Heat were expected to lose Powell in free agency, Miami’s financial squeeze after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade left little room to retain him. The Bulls, with the cap flexibility Miami lacked, ultimately won out.
For Chicago, it is a clear win-now addition. Powell gives the Bulls a proven three-level scorer and floor-spacer to pair with Cade Cunningham’s development, addressing a need for shot creation on the wing. Coming off the best stretch of his career, he arrives with legitimate momentum.
The loss stings for a Miami team that just reshaped its roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. The Heat had insisted they wanted Powell back, even exploring a trade of Nikola Jović to clear the salary needed to keep him. That effort ultimately fell short, and Miami now must find shooting elsewhere.
Powell’s exit leaves a notable hole on the wing. The Heat will likely turn to the veteran minimum market and potential trades to replace his scoring, a challenge for a team hard-capped at the first apron with limited spending power.
For Powell, it is a deserved payday after years of proving himself as one of the league’s more underrated scorers. In Chicago, he gets the chance to lead a young roster looking to take its next step.
