The Chicago Bulls moved quickly in the opening days of NBA free agency, securing veteran guard Norman Powell on a two-year, $45 million contract that includes a team option for the second year, and extending center Zach Collins to keep the former midseason acquisition in Chicago.
Powell arrives after a 21.7-point season with the Miami Heat, where he shot 38 percent from three-point range. His career three-point percentage of 39.6 percent gives the Bulls a much-needed lift in a backcourt that ranked near the bottom in long-range shooting last season. At 33, Powell adds playoff experience and a secondary scoring option that can help accelerate the development of younger pieces such as Caleb Wilson.
Collins has appeared in just 38 games total for Chicago, including only ten contests last season because a toe injury that required surgery limited his availability. When healthy, he briefly earned the starting center role, offering a bruising, defensive-oriented presence in the paint. The extension rounds out a center group that now features Jalen Smith and Nic Claxton, giving the coaching staff flexibility to mix rim protection with athleticism and versatility.
The front office also exercised a $2.4 million team option on forward Leonard Miller, retaining a player who posted 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while earning a starting role late in the season. Keeping Miller, Powell, and Collins underscores a strategy of incremental upgrades rather than a wholesale roster overhaul.
From a tactical standpoint, Powell provides a true wing who can stretch defenses to the perimeter and finish at the rim, while Collins, if fully healthy, offers interior defense that dovetails with Smith’s athleticism and Claxton’s versatility. The blend of veteran stability and youthful upside gives Chicago multiple lineup configurations that can switch on pick-and-roll actions and compete in a crowded Eastern Conference.
The Bulls will monitor Collins’ health throughout preseason and decide whether to keep him in the starting rotation or consider him a trade asset once he becomes eligible in roughly six months. Powell’s contract structure, with a team option after the first year, leaves Chicago flexibility to reassess his fit before the trade deadline. The next decisive milestones are training camp in late September and the mid-season deadline, where additional moves could shape a roster that aims to improve its shooting and defensive depth.
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