The Chicago Bulls are off to a tough 1-6 start to the 2026-27 season. Large changes over the offseason, hiring Tiago Splitter as head coach and adding Norman Powell and Nic Claxton, have not gone to plan two weeks into the campaign.
Not to mention early struggles for Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey. Panic could be in store for the Bulls. One move could be trading away Norman Powell.
The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi’s latest piece addressed some concerns about Chicago’s disheartening start to the regular season. One of them being the clash of talent within the Bulls’ current rotation.
“Buzelis probably needs time. Chicago will keep making rotation changes, some of which will likely make life easier,” Lorenzi wrote. “It’s also possible the Bulls eventually trade (Norman) Powell, which would free up touches.”
A Norman Powell Trade Would Hint Towards Chicago Committing to the Future
The Chicago Bulls are ranked as the sixth-youngest roster in the NBA, according to Rotowire. They have just two players who are 30 years old or older: Norman Powell and Buddy Hield.
Powell takes up a significantly larger cap hit after signing a two-year, $44.07 million deal this offseason. Although cap space isn’t a burden to the Bulls right now, moving on from Powell will show that the franchise is committing to younger talent.
This may include the likes of Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis.
Powell’s addition has definitely impacted Buzelis’s production, says Joel Lorenzi.
“But it’s also fair to wonder how Powell’s insertion has impacted Buzelis and the spots he’s processing offense from,” Lorenzi said. “He’s standing in places that require different reads. He was the guy whose athleticism the Bulls were previously obligated to highlight in the half court. Now he’s no longer the team’s best athlete.”
Powell is averaging 20.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 29.7 minutes per game. Meanwhile, Buzelis averages 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 25.0 minutes per game.
Bulls Exercise Options on Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue
Chicago has made the moves necessary to lock down young assets for the future. Ahead of the season, the Bulls exercised their team options on Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline.
Both Buzelis (No. 11 overall in 2024) and Essengue (No. 12 overall in 2025) are the Bulls’ lottery picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts.
These moves suggest the franchise is committing to both players. Each of them will be under contract through the 2027-28 season.
Chicago appears to be in a similar situation to what it was in 2025-26. Instead of the questionable depth the Bulls traded for at guard, the franchise has run into a similar situation while trying to determine too many options at forward.
Bulls’ Norman Powell Gets Telling Trade Update Amid Team’s Struggling Start