Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) warms up before game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
With Giannis Antetokounmpo looking to make his debut with the Miami Heat after the blockbuster trade made earlier in the offseason, one player who saw a new change of scenery is Norman Powell, now with the Chicago Bulls. As Powell gave his thoughts on the Heat's Antetokounmpo trade, he would speak about what led to the decision to sign with the Bulls.
Monday saw Powell as active as he could be on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, especially as people responded to a quote he made to Fadeaway World about what it would've taken from Miami to keep the 33-year-0ld.
Powell mentioned that Andrew Wiggins would've had to opt out of his $30 million option and taken less money, and the Heat had to have traded Nikola Jovic to make the Antetokounmpo trade and re-sign him.
There were people on the internet who assumed that Powell was wanting the Heat to make these moves happen, as he set the record straight, saying that the team “never offered anything” and he wanted to go where he was “wanted and appreciated.”
“Would’ve loved to stay in Miami too, but at the end of the day, I have to go where I am wanted and appreciated. Fan saying all this stuff, but like I said in the interview, Miami never offered anything,” Powell wrote.
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Norman Powell on going from the Heat to the Bulls
Last season in his one year with the Heat, Powell averaged 21.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range, leading to his first All-Star nod. Signing a two-year, $45 million deal with the Bulls, he expressed how excited he is for the opportunity, as the veteran is going to a team where he is “valued.”
“I gotta go where I’m wanted & valued. With the opportunity to play my game and lead. Chicago gives me all that & a new challenge & I love it…I’m just stating the facts, not upset or anything; it’s business,” Powell wrote.
Miami and Powell move on to their separate ways and start new chapters this upcoming season.