Norman Powell Brings Scoring Punch to Bulls Backcourt
Norman Powell joins the Chicago Bulls after a career-level scoring season with the Miami Heat, and he's already lighting up the box score through the first week of 2026-27. At 33, the veteran guard is healthy, not on the injury report, and settling into a new rotation in Chicago.
By the Bulls Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightA New Home in ChicagoNorman Powell starts this season in a Bulls uniform after spending last year with the Miami Heat.
Norman Powell starts this season in a Bulls uniform after spending last year with the Miami Heat. The 33-year-old guard, an 11-year veteran out of UCLA, wears No. 24 for Chicago and lines up at the two. At 6-4 and 215 pounds, he gives the Bulls a proven scorer who can play on or off the ball. Powell is one of the more experienced hands on this roster, and Chicago is counting on that experience early in the season. He arrives with a track record of instant offense, and the early returns suggest he can still fill that job in a new system while new teammates learn his habits and spacing on the floor.
02What He Did Last SeasonPowell's 2025-26 numbers with Miami were a career-level scoring output at heavy volume.
Powell's 2025-26 numbers with Miami were a career-level scoring output at heavy volume. He averaged 21.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 58 games, logging 29.6 minutes a night. His shooting splits were sharp: 47.0 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from three and 82.7 percent at the line, good for a 60.9 true shooting mark. He carried a 26.2 usage rate, a sign Miami leaned on him heavily to create offense, and his plus-minus sat at +0.7 for the year. Those are the numbers Chicago is banking on repeating now that he has switched uniforms, and they explain why he was brought in to help the backcourt.
03Hot and Cold Through the First WeekPowell's first games in a Bulls uniform have been uneven but mostly winning.
Powell's first games in a Bulls uniform have been uneven but mostly winning. He opened with 14 points in 14.4 minutes in a win over Phoenix on Oct. 7, then scored 17 in a loss to Memphis two days later. He did not play in the Oct. 11 loss to Denver, logging zero minutes. He bounced back with 16 points in 22.4 minutes in a win over Milwaukee on Oct. 14, then added 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in just 14.6 minutes in a win over Minnesota on Oct. 16, posting a plus-11 in that game. The minutes have moved around as Chicago settles its rotation, but the scoring punch has shown up every time he's been on the floor.
04Health ReportPowell is not on the injury report right now, and there is no injury history logged for him this season.
Powell is not on the injury report right now, and there is no injury history logged for him this season. His one scoreless, minuteless outing against Denver on Oct. 11 does not carry any injury designation attached to it. For a 33-year-old guard in his 11th season, staying off the injury list in the opening week is a good sign for Chicago, which needs his scoring available on a nightly basis. Bulls fans watching his workload should read this as a clean bill of health rather than a cause for concern, with no nagging issue behind the missed action.
05Offseason BuzzPowell's name surfaced in a Bulls Notes roundup from reporter Joel Lorenzi on Oct.
Powell's name surfaced in a Bulls Notes roundup from reporter Joel Lorenzi on Oct. 4, grouped alongside teammates Wilson, Buzelis and Essengue. That kind of notebook piece tracks where several players stand entering the year rather than breaking one specific story, and nothing in it pointed to a trade, benching or health concern tied to Powell. For a veteran who just arrived in Chicago, showing up in those roster notes is routine business, not a red flag. His focus through the first week has stayed squarely on the scoreboard, where he's already shown he can still get buckets at a high level even as the Bulls figure out his exact role.
Powell21.7 ppg
Sharpe20.8 ppg
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