Shams: Bulls sign Norman Powell for two years

Powell finished Wednesday’s defeat with his first 30-point game of the season, shooting 66.7 percent from the field. The veteran guard began the day shooting 36.5 percent from the field, so category-league managers will be pleased with Powell’s showing against the Knicks. Things won’t get easier for Powell and the Bulls, as they visit the Celtics on Friday. Boston blew out Chicago on Friday, with Powell scoring 20 points.

Powell’s shot fell at a higher rate than it did during the opening week, with the veteran guard shooting 34.1 percent from the field in Chicago’s first three games. A bonus for fantasy managers was four steals, bringing Powell’s total to 10 over four games. He’s averaged at least one steal per game each of the last two seasons, so Powell managers may get a little more value in that category.

Powell’s offensive role may be slightly larger than he anticipated when he signed with the Bulls, but it raises his fantasy ceiling. However, fantasy managers will reap the rewards only if he improves his accuracy. Through three games, Powell has shot 14-of-41 (34.1%) from the field, nearly 13 percentage points lower than his career number (47.0%). He’ll look to clean that up during the Bulls’ three-game Week 2, which starts on Monday in Boston.

Powell was the Bulls’ leading scorer in the victory over the Bucks on Wednesday. While he had 25 points, Powell’s typically excellent shooting from behind the three-point line was noticeably absent. The 33-year-old shooting guard went 2-of-12 from behind the arc and is now 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) from long distance this season. Powell is a career 39.6 percent three-point shooter and should have better shooting games in his future as he’s due for positive regression.

Powell’s first official appearance as a Bull did not go as planned, as Chicago was on the wrong end of a 135-92 thrashing. Also, only Matas Buzelis (eight attempts) took fewer shots than Powell among the Bulls starters. Given his role, Powell offers solid fantasy upside, but managers must remember that this season in Chicago is about developing young players like Buzelis and lottery pick Caleb Wilson.

With the Bulls playing their starters and the Bucks not, Wednesday’s game wasn’t particularly competitive. Powell didn’t do much beyond points and free throws, but there’s little to take away from this performance for his fantasy outlook. Powell can provide middle-round fantasy value in 12-team formats, but managers need the veteran guard to stay healthy to get full value from rostering him.

Making his Bulls preseason debut, Powell logged just 14 minutes on Wednesday. He shot the ball well, going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The overall stat line was lean, but Powell has top-75 fantasy potential in his new home. The question is availability, as Powell has appeared in 60 games or fewer in five of his last six seasons.

Appearing on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show, Charania said the Heat aren’t expecting Powell to be back with the team next season. This comes on the heels of ESPN’s Brian Windhorst echoing the same sentiments on another show Tuesday morning. While Powell’s shooting is exactly what the Heat need, he’s going to have multiple suitors in free agency, which will make him very difficult for Miami to keep from a financial perspective, according to Charania. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer previously reported the Pistons have added Powell to their list of targets.

The Pistons have been linked to nearly every available shooter this offseason. Prior to the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, it was believed that Powell would re-sign with the Heat. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Tuesday morning that Powell isn’t going to re-sign with Miami barring a “crazy discount.” With Powell seemingly available now, it’s no surprise that Detroit will at least kick the tires on the 33-year-old All-Star. The Pistons will continue to look to add shooting and playmaking around its core this offseason and Powell could factor into those plans. Stein and Fischer report Detroit is also interested in Tyler Herro, Coby White and Isaiah Joe.

Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday morning, Windhorst expressed concern that the Heat will be able to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with enough shooting this upcoming season. His primary reason for concern is that he believes the Heat will lose Powell in free agency barring the 33-year-old All-Star taking a “crazy discount.” With Miami up against the cap and having already put so many assets in the Giannis trade, the Heat will have to make some moves on the cheap to fill out the roster. It appears Powell could be out of their price range.