The Bulls’ Norman Powell move already feels like it comes with a timer attached.
Chicago signed the 33-year-old to a two-year, $44,075,000 deal, and while the fit makes sense from a pure talent standpoint, it doesn’t line up neatly with the rest of the roster. The Bulls are trying to build around a 24-and-under group, and Powell is a veteran scorer who suddenly gives the franchise a very different kind of decision to make.
That decision is the real story here: keep him as a stabilizing veteran presence, or cash him in if he plays like the difference-maker he’s been for years.
Powell’s appeal is obvious. He’s a sharp, high-volume scorer who can stretch the floor and make life easier for younger teammates. But that same production is exactly what could turn him into one of Chicago’s most valuable trade chips by the deadline.
The Bulls have reason to believe Powell can help right away. Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, and Caleb Wilson are the young core in place, with Wilson drawing praise as a possible franchise player.
But all three are 24 or younger, and there are still questions about how Buzelis and Giddey will ultimately fit with Wilson. That uncertainty makes Powell’s role harder to pin down.
The argument for keeping him is straightforward enough. Powell is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 21.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.7 three-point field goals made per game while shooting .470/.380/.827. That kind of scoring punch would have made him Chicago’s leading scorer if he had put up the same numbers there.
He also isn’t just a one-dimensional gunner. Powell can create his own shot, but he also has the off-ball game to function alongside other scorers. That matters if Chicago really does believe it has short-term goals, especially after adding another veteran in center Nicolas Claxton to round out the starting lineup.
Still, the trade case may be even stronger.
Teams are always hunting for scoring and shooting at the deadline, and Powell brings both along with 91 career playoff games. That kind of résumé plays in the spring, when contenders are desperate for clean offense and proven production. If he gets off to a strong start in Chicago, the Bulls could have a market for him that brings back a first-round pick or even a quality young player who better fits their timeline.
His contract only adds to the intrigue. Powell is set to make $21.5 million in 2026-27, and there’s a 2027-28 team option worth $22,575,000. That structure gives Chicago flexibility and makes him easier for a contender to absorb if he’s playing at a high level.
The way the deal was constructed suggests the Bulls may have had this possibility in mind from the start. It’s not hard to imagine Powell wanting a strong payday in a summer when teams were short on money for free agents, then landing with a non-contender that could pay him now and move him later.
Only nine players got a higher annual salary than Powell this summer, and eight of them stayed with their original teams. The only exception was Walker Kessler, who went to the Los Angeles Lakers via sign-and-trade.
Put that together with the team option and Powell’s status as arguably the best current player on the roster, and the picture gets pretty clear. His stay in Chicago may not be designed to be long. If he performs as expected, the Bulls could be looking at a trade asset with major value.
And if that happens, Chicago could come away with at least one first-round pick from a team close to contention, or with a younger player who still needs time but fits the organization’s development track.
For now, it’s only a projection. But Norman Powell looks best positioned to help the Bulls most as a trade piece.
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