Bulls add veteran guard Powell, are they done for summer?

The Bulls pressed pause on their youth movement Wednesday by agreeing to terms with free-agent shooting guard Norman Powell.

The deal is for two years and $45 million, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Bulls did have a clear need for more scoring and veteran experience. Powell is 33 with 11 years in the league and made the all-star team for the first time last season while averaging 21.7 points per game for Miami. He's shot better than 40% from 3-point range in six of his 11 years in the league.

At this point Powell and center Nic Claxton are the two veteran additions, while Zach Collins is the only returning free agent. Are the Bulls done for the summer?

Well, they have one available roster spot but don't have to use it. The cap space is gone, but they could use the below-cap mid-level exception worth $9.3 million. Some teams like the flexibility of going into training camp with just 14 spots filled.

So the Bulls might be done, but here's a quick summer Q&A to assess the progress of Rebuild '26.

Why would Powell want to join a rebuilding team?

The likely answer is there aren't many NBA teams with money to spend this summer, so Powell grabbed the best available offer and can always be traded to a contender at a later date.

Or if the Bulls young roster progresses quickly, maybe Powell becomes an important veteran presence. One example is the Pistons, who quickly brought in veterans like Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Duncan Robinson to help guide the young players, and that seemed to work well.

Could there be trades this summer?

It feels like this roster is being set up to have options at the trade deadline, which makes a summer deal less likely. Powell, Tre Jones or one of the bigs could be in demand by midseason. Patrick Williams and Isaac Okoro probably won't be.

One major question is whether Bryson Graham and coach Tiago Splitter see Josh Giddey as the point guard who can lead the Bulls back to the playoffs. The team did include Giddey on a graphic announcing the NBA Cup pools (huge news, no doubt). No guarantees, but they probably wouldn't do that if a trade is in the works.

The likely scenario is the new regime takes a test drive with Giddey. He did come close to averaging a triple-double last season but wasn't great in late-game situations. The advice here is put the ball in Matas Buzelis' hands in crunch time and see how that goes.

How good will this team be?

Hmm, the goal is probably 30 or so wins. With the radical new lottery rules, teams will be punished for finishing in the bottom three. Also, teams now have the same lottery odds whether they are the fourth-worst team or a play-in loser. And there's no more stacking teams by record after the lottery determines the top-four picks. The top 16 picks will all be determined by drawing.

The Bulls could climb higher if Buzelis takes a sizable step forward, which is certainly possible. Or if top pick Caleb Wilson blossoms right away (less likely). A potential starting lineup is Giddey, Powell, Buzelis, Wilson and Claxton.

At the same time, the Bulls could be low on scorers if Powell gets injured. Graham and Splitter plan to start with a defensive identity. Maybe that will mean fewer calf strains next season.

When does summer league start?

The first game in Las Vegas is July 10 against Memphis, which could match Wilson against No. 3 draft pick Cam Boozer. The Bulls are also scheduled to play Utah and Washington, who had the top two picks, but key players sit out summer league games all the time, so no promises.

Hopefully, summer league will offer a good look at Wilson, fellow rookie Dailyn Swain and Noa Essengue, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. Jaylin Sellers, a shooting guard from Providence; and Tobe Awaka, a long-armed power forward from Arizona, have reportedly agreed to two-way deals with the Bulls and should also be on the floor.