The Chicago Bulls have been stuck in mediocrity for the past decade, failing to gain any substantial playoff wins while hovering around the idea that their roster is better than it appears on paper.
As fans sit around and ask themselves, “Who will be the one to rise from the ashes and pick this team up off the ground?” the answer isn’t Josh Giddey or Coby White, let alone Nikola Vucevic. The answer is Matas Buzelis.
The 20-year-old second-year player had a successful rookie season despite what the box score might suggest, averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds on 45.4% shooting across 18.9 minutes. His start to the season required trust — riding the end of the bench before solidifying himself as a rotation player in December.
In an attempt to find his footing, much like Chicago’s regular season, Buzelis saw a noticeable minutes increase in February, jumping from 13.9 to 26.8. Consistently being the first man off the bench, he thrived alongside the starters, putting up 12.8 points and 3.4 rebounds on 50% shooting. His best outing came against LeBron James and Luka Doncic, dropping 31 points on 66.7% shooting in 30 minutes.
He’s no longer viewed as just another young player on the roster, but as a cornerstone to the franchise’s long-term vision.
Buying Matas Buzelis and a breakout season
“He has so much skill in his bag,” executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said at the end of Buzelis’ rookie season. “Shooting threes, blocking shots, running the break, dunking the ball — he’s athletic, he can put it on the floor, create for others—so we’ve seen a lot of it.”
Buzelis’s impact wasn’t something that could be thrown out there without warning. Head coach Billy Donovan understood that putting a 19-year-old rookie on the floor in low-reward, high-risk scenarios wasn’t the right approach for his development. Instead, Buzelis worked his way up the bench, slowly earning increased minutes while fine-tuning the mechanics in his game.
Now, the 2025–2026 regular season has never presented a better opportunity for Buzelis. Given the hesitancy around Josh Giddey’s contract negotiations, Buzelis could become the team’s second scoring option behind Coby White. There’s just one problem: Chicago has to make additional improvements.
Expected to release Nikola Vucevic in the coming days due to a lack of trade interest, the Bulls’ depth chart will become even thinner if they fail to get a return. Still pushing themselves as a young team trying to develop over time, the urge to be in playoff contention has never been greater than it is now. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are history. Buzelis needs to become the future.