Bulls’ Norman Powell On Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Impact On His Free Agency, Caleb Wilson’s Potential – Fadeaway World
After experiencing an unpredictable free agency, Norman Powell faces another uncertain situation.
Where do the Chicago Bulls stand in an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference?
“We have the potential to be really good,” Powell told Fadeaway World. “But we also have the potential to be really bad.”
Powell expressed more optimism about the former scenario. That’s because Powell agreed to a two-year, $45 million dollar deal with the Bulls for reasons beyond the Miami Heat becoming limited with their salary cap after acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Both parties benefit from the terms. Powell earned a lucrative deal after making his first NBA All-Star appearance for his dependable two-way presence. The Bulls have flexibility to lean on the 33-year-old Powell’s veteran presence on a young team or flip his contract before the trade deadline. As for the basketball reasons? Powell sounded bullish about Chicago. He touted the Bulls’ young core (No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, Dailyn Swan). He also heard strong reviews about Bulls coach Tiago Splitter after guiding the Portland Trail Blazers to the playoffs last season in an interim role.
“We are on a team with a lot of potential,” Powell told Fadeaway World. “I know the media will count us out and say we’re not good enough and all of that good stuff. But I’m really about installing that self-belief. We can be better and raise the level of expectations, not only for ourselves, but from what people expect from us throughout the league.”
Powell spoke to Fadeaway World about numerous topics, including why he didn’t think it worked out to return to Miami, more about the Bulls’ roster and his high ranking among the top NBA shooters. Powell also spoke about the state of the Jamaican national team and his summer camp in San Diego.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
How do you compare what you expected how this offseason would play out to what actually happened with leaving Miami and signing with Chicago?
Powell: “Going in, I always try to plan my offseason. Obviously with free agency, you have a bit of uncertainty there. But I trusted my agent, Jason Glushon and Khalid [McCaskill]. I believe they’re going to work for me and get me the best deal possible, lay out all of my options and possibilities going into the offseason with free agency. I’m glad we were able to get a deal done. I know everybody was hoping I was coming back [to Miami]. Then there was stuff coming out about me possibly not being in Miami. They never came to the table. So Chicago came to the table along with a few other teams to sit down and talk with my agents just about what the best deal is and what is the outlook on the future for me and my basketball career.
We thought this was the best situation for me with going to Chicago. I’m really excited we were able to get a deal done. I’m excited to start a new chapter with a new organization, an historic organization and a team that has a lot of youth and potential. So I’m really excited to get with the guys, work out with them and display my ‘old-man leadership’ and wisdom on this very youthful team. Hopefully, I can shape the mentality and change some things over to winning ways with how we’re going to play and execute going into this season along with Tiago coming in as a new head coach. I’m really excited to play for him. I heard great things about him and everything he’s done with coaching overseas and in Portland. I’m really excited to learn about his style of play and his mentality to go out there and play with the Bulls.”
Was it as simple as once Miami got Giannis, you knew you’d have to pursue other possibilities because of their cap situation? Or did you get a sense even beforehand that you would have to consider other options?
Powell: “Honestly, I thought I would be going back to Miami throughout the course of the year. We knew they wanted to get Giannis. We heard some rumblings that ‘Norm and Giannis sounds really good.” So I thought that was the path. But when the trade is on the table, that was in the season and I don’t know the talks behind it. I don’t know what Milwaukee’s stance was. But it seemed like they were like, ‘If you want Giannis, you have to take Bobby Portis.’ I think that played a part with the CBA rules and the hard cap with sending out money and receiving money. That put a tough swing on things, in my eyes. But I could be totally wrong.
They could’ve made moves and done things if they wanted to. Obviously, Wiggs [Andrew Wiggins] would have had to opt out [of his player option] and take less than his $30 [million] and they would have had to move Niko [Nikola Jović]. But teams are going to do what they want. They didn’t make the moves necessary to do so. So it’s about being ahead of the game and seeing how things play out. Khalid and Glu were really on top of giving me the outline of what free agency would look like, who’s available and who’s interested. As the news was coming out with different guys’ contracts and trades, they kept me really informed on what was going to be next, who was on the board and off the board. It wasn’t as cut and dry.”
You were talking about bringing ‘old-man leadership’ to this young Bulls team. What does that look like?
Powell: “The biggest thing is the mentality. I am a guy that has been through it all in this league with multiple roles and ups and downs. I’ve been at every position. The biggest thing in that locker room is about being vocal, keeping the guys encouraged and showing them through my work. That’s what everybody knows me for. I’m a guy that’s going to go in and work his ass off, no matter what the situation is and no matter what the role is. I’ll be the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. I’m really committed to the grind and to do what it takes to be successful so they can shape their own path.
All of these guys are rookies, first-year, second-year or third-year guys. We have a few guys that are older than that. But none of them are older than 30 [years old]. So I’m just sharing my path and building a winning mentality. I’ve pretty much been on all winning teams. I’ve only missed the playoffs two times. So I’m coming in there to help win and help lead that way. We are on a team with a lot of potential. I know the media will count us out and say we’re not good enough. But I’m really about installing that self-belief. We can be better and raise the level of expectations, not only for ourselves, but from what people expect from us throughout the league.”
What’s your early impressions of what this group can do with Caleb Wilson, the rest of the young group and Tiago as head coach?
Powell: “I’m very excited. I see a lot of versatility within this group. I think it’s kind of funny that I’m the shortest person in the projected starting lineup. But I see a lot of versatility and skill out there along with a lot of hunger and youthfulness. With the way Tiago had Portland flying around on defense, I think we’ll have a defensive mentality with pressuring, playing fast and picking the ball up full court and trying to turn guys over with our length and athleticism. I think Caleb is going to be very, very special. Just from watching him in the Summer League, he was able to dominate in his few games. I love his mentality. He sounds very mature for his age. He sounds really hungry and is willing to do whatever it takes to put in the work. I think they’re elite with [Josh] Giddey and Matas [Buzelis]. The pickup of Nic Claxton is really good. Zach [Collins] is back and able to be healthy. That will be good for us. Tre [Jones] off the bench will be good for us. [Isaac] Okoro will be good. We’re working with these guys, talking to them and getting them in the gym.
We have the potential to be really good. But we also have the potential to be really bad. So I think it’s about finding that fine line with how we’re going to go out and develop our mentality every night. So when teams play us, they know what they’re getting. Obviously, Tiago’s voice, coaching style and his approach will definitely help with that. But I also want to help with that mentality. So that when you come to play the Bulls, at home or on the road, you will have to compete for a full 48 minutes. We’re going to pick it up, play hard and attack you. We’re going to use every single weapon we have available to help us get wins.”
I came across this stat that said you have the third-best shooting percentage on movement 3s for players in the 2020s. You’re behind Luke Kennard and AJ Green, and you’re ahead of Steph Curry. What do you think explains that success?
Powell: “It’s funny. My trainer, A.J. [Diggs], sent me that stat. I’m not a big stat person. I think I’ve told you that and talked about it. But it is definitely cool when you see those stats and see where you rank among some of the elite. Being up there in that category with Steph and Luke, they are known as knock-down shooters. I came into the league not being known as a shooter. People said that I wouldn’t be able to shoot at the NBA level. It’s a testament to my work. I think that’s what I always go back to. It’s the commitment to get better. It’s the commitment to the grind and working on my grind every single offseason and making sure that I come back better.
We put a heavy emphasis on my shooting since my rookie year with how to change my shot and making it more consistent. Then I’m able to shoot in all different areas. I’m able to shoot in the corner as a catch-and-shoot player with the Raptors [2015-21]. Then we added coming off pindowns, off the dribble, sidestep and more difficult 3s. I’m consistently working on that every single day. So I just think it’s a testament to the work. I still think that it’s pretty crazy that I’m in these top-shooting number categories and participating in 3-point contests. If you go back to 2015 and before, nobody would’ve thought that I would be in conversations.”
You were an All-Star last season, and you’ve said you want to be a multi-year All-Star. What will it take for that to happen?
Powell: “Winning and where the team sits in the standings. Obviously, I need to show that I’m still at that level. Everybody is now talking about, ‘He’s 33 years old, this, that and the other.’ But if you look around the league, a lot of these guys are looking like and playing like they’re in their prime at 36 or 37 years old. I still feel like I’m 27. So it’s about playing my game with confidence and with trusting the work.
Wins are obviously going to be important. I want to be a multiple-time All-Star. But if it doesn’t happen, I’m focused on the winning. I want to be on a winning team. I want to get another championship. If I have to sacrifice being an All-Star for a deep playoff run, potentially, and doing all of that to compete at a very level, I can miss the All-Star [game]. But I want to win. If I play the way I know I can play to help this team get wins, all of the individual accolades and awards will follow.”
You’ve played with so many different All-Stars in your career. What do you plan on sharing with this group about them?
Powell: “It’s about looking at all of their different skillsets. What I’ve been able to do and attack the game is pick a little bit from every one of their games. I give them the knowledge that was passed down to me. DeMar [DeRozan] helped me figure out how to draw fouls. Now I’m one of the best at being able to pick up fouls and get to the free-throw line. I’m able to take angles and use my body to finish and get to spots, which is what I learned from watching Kawhi [Leonard].
I know the game, understand time, score and situation. I learned that from Kyle [Lowry]. Being able to shoot sidestep 3s is because I was around Dame [Lillard]. I learned about isolation scoring from Dame and CJ [McCollum]. I’m working on different pickups, counters and deception moves with James. I was able to give the knowledge that was given to me and pass it along to the next generation. That’s what it’s all about. I’m really looking forward toward doing that and opening the door for these guys to be able to come and work out with me in the morning. I can keep their game sharp and focused throughout the course of the season.”
When you were with the Clippers, you talked about how the mental part of the game helped with not worrying on how things would play out on a contract year. Your deal with the Bulls gives both parties flexibility. So how do you apply those principles to these circumstances?
Powell: “It’s all about staying in the moment. I’ve always talked about controlling what I can control. If a team decides at any point that they want to trade me or do certain things, they’re well within their right to do so. But until that time, I’m focused on my job and what I need to do and what they’re asking me to do. I’m staying in the moment, doing my job and playing my role so I can be the best player that I can be for the team and be the best leader I can for the guys. Whatever happens after that, we’ll let it happen. I’m just focused on the moment and controlling what I have to control.”
What do you make of Jamaican’s struggles with the FIBA World Cup qualifiers this summer?
Powell: “Unfortunately with the Jamaican national team, I wasn’t able to play just with how free agency went. I thought we would get an agreed-upon deal a little earlier and I’d be able to suit up and play. But when it started lingering into those games, I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. But I still wanted to show up and support and still be there for the team in the Bahamas and talk to them.
After we got a deal, I wasn’t able to go up into Canada. But it’s tough that I wasn’t able to play. I really wanted to help them advance into the next round and be playing in some of these qualifying windows in August. But unfortunately, they got knocked out. That’s tough. But I’m going to be talking to the head of the national team and try to help reshape that. Then the next time the availability window is open for us to qualify, the team will be a lot stronger and more prepared. Hopefully we’ll then be able to get some more NBA guys cleared and be able to play for the team.”
What’s your expectations on what the Jamaican national team can do going forward?
Powell: “It’s about retooling and seeing what we need to do. We have a lot of interest from NBA guys – Devin Vassell, the Thompson twins, the Champagnie brothers, Isaiah Stewart and a couple of other guys that want to play. So it’s about figuring out how we can get as many NBA guys and top-talented guys that are a part of the team. Jamaica is in a tough spot because they have that rule with FIBA where you have to have your Jamaican citizenship or passport the time you’re 16 to 18 years old. We’re trying to get FIBA to get the rules changed.
A lot of the guys that have Jamaican descent or heritage are being penalized for something that their parents didn’t do or their grandparents moved away from Jamaica. They didn’t know the national team was a thing since it’s been 15 years since we first played a game. So we’re trying to work with FIBA to get it changed or altered. It’s putting a damper on what Jamaica is able to do with being able to compete at a very high level because a lot of these guys’ parents didn’t get their dual citizenship. That’s tough.”
You also hosted a youth basketball camp in San Diego recently. How did that go?
Powell: “We had a very successful camp this year. Every single year, it is a little bit more special. This year my mom and community surprised me with a mural of me on the side of my high school gym [Lincoln]. I had no idea about that. Talking to the community members, some former coaches and teachers and my mom, I didn’t know they had been working on this project for three years. I’m surprised they were able to keep it a secret for that long. I can’t wait for the completed process of everything. That was definitely cool.
It’s a testament to my commitment toward giving back to the community in making sure that I’m able to provide for the next generation, giving them opportunity and the tools needed for them to follow their own path and using my lifestyle mantra, ‘Understand the grind’ as a motivational tool and guide as they decide to figure out their own journey, what they want to attack and go after in their own life. It was a special moment. The camp was successful.
I’m looking to continue to build and do more in the community as we continue to build out the foundation and lay the blueprint for the inner city. I always love to put out ways to help the inner city. It’s all about giving back. That’s what I do with ‘Understand the Grind’ foundation. If anybody wants to partner with what we’re doing, we love giving back. In Chicago, we have plans to do some community give-back initiatives and continue to build. If anybody has a desire to help the inner city, reach out to my foundation and we can help make some positive change for the next generation.”
Mark Medina is an NBA contributor to Fadeaway World. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.