Here's the latest Chicago Bulls news on the final day of August, including an interesting move by the Brooklyn Nets, another writer taking a shot at Arturas Karnisovas and the heavy expectations being thrust upon 20-year-old Matas Buzelis.
Nets create a roster opening, but for what?
Brooklyn said goodbye to Tosan Evbuomwan, a 6-foot-8 forward who was on a two-year, two-way deal with the team. Evbuomwan wasn't a lock for a roster spot this season, but he did average nearly 10 points per game across 28 games for the Nets last season as a 24-year-old. There was clearly some impetus for letting go of a young player who showed a bit of upside.
While the move could simply be a way to open another two-way spot on the roster, Brian Lewis of the New York Post had an interesting take -- that Evbuomwan's release could mean Brooklyn is open to taking on an unwanted contract if it means adding future draft capital.
It's unlikely, but the Nets could be one step closer to making an offer to Bulls restricted free agent Josh Giddey, which, if nothing else, could get the ball rolling on a potential conclusion to the long-running saga.
Arturas Karnisovas takes more heat
In an unsurprising development, a member of the media has taken a shot at Chicago's executive vice president of basketball operations.
This time it's a local reporter, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times went in on Karnisovas for his lack of a plan and/or ability to acquire a star that would move the Bulls needle from "average" to "slightly above average":
"A mediocre team doing mediocre things -- to the surprise of no one," Cowley wrote recently. "Hope isn’t a plan, but it’s the only plan this front office has going for it right now.
"The Bulls’ front office far too often has figured out a way to throw good money at mediocre players, then hand those players a player option to further dictate the terms. ... Don’t worry. No expectations have been built here."
Cowley isn't wrong. Josh Giddey took a late-season leap last year, as did Coby White. But there's no one on the current roster prepared to put the franchise on his back. Which leads to...
Are the Bulls putting too much pressure on Matas Buzelis?
The short answer here is yes. Buzelis is a 20-year-old heading into his second NBA season and, despite the upside he showed last year, isn't ready to lead a team to the playoffs by himself. Yet it feels like those are the expectations -- or at least the hope -- the sophomore is being burdened with.
By all accounts, Buzelis is prepared to take his promising rookie flashes and turn them into legitimate production. Cowley himself said there's no reason the Illinois native can't be the team's best player ... in 2026-27.
Hopefully, Buzelis doesn't feel like he's being asked to do too much. It's not fair for anyone to throw him the keys to the franchise when he's only made 31 NBA starts. But he is the closest thing the Bulls have to a potential superstar.