The Chicago Bulls gutted their roster at the trade deadline, giving 21-year-old Matas Buzelis a chance to stretch his legs. Now, Bulls fans are watching him become a star.
While Buzelis wasn't the standout of Chicago's first victory since January (a dumbfounding 23-point win over the surging Milwaukee Bucks), he played a key role. The second-year forward scored 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting and hit four 3-pointers. He grabbed seven rebounds, dished out three assists and added two blocks for good measure.
That stat line in the win over Milwaukee is just the latest in a string of impressive performances from the Bulls' most talented, and now important, player.
Matas Buzelis is seizing his new opportunity
The Bulls dealt Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline. Josh Giddey was at the time sidelined with a hamstring injury. That meant Buzelis was Chicago's go-to option, and he's cashed in on that opportunity.
Since Feb. 3 — the Bulls' final game with White and Dosunmu — Buzelis is averaging 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 blocks. He's shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three, knocking down 3.0 triples per night.
He leads Chicago in the following categories (head's up, it's a pretty long list):
- Total minutes - 306
- Total points - 178
- Total rebounds - 63
- Total blocks - 16
- Total field-goals made - 62
- Total 3-pointers made - 29
Buzelis has attempted the second-most free throws and has taken 40 more shots than any other Bull. He's gotten up 26 more threes.
The Chicago native has become his team's driving force and, to put it bluntly, the organization's most critical player.
Buzelis is at the center of the Bulls future
Bulls fans have turned their attention to lottery odds and mock drafts, and understandably so. Their team just capped the third-longest losing streak in franchise history, and the 2026 draft class carries multiple All-NBA-caliber talents.
It's not hyperbole to say that if the ping-pong balls bounce Chicago's way, the franchise could change overnight.
But lottery win or lose, Buzelis' significance to the Bulls will not change. Even if Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa or Cam Boozer land in the Windy City, Buzelis is now solidified as the team's leader; as he goes, the Bulls will go. His competitiveness is infectious and exactly what the organization needs right now.
And being handed the chance, he's blossoming into its star.