After years of mediocrity and missteps in roster building, Chicago Bulls fans finally have reason to feel hopeful.
Chicago has at long last moved on from the veteran core it assembled in the early 2020s. Over the past year, the Bulls dealt Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine. While the returns were modest—aside from landing Josh Giddey in the Caruso trade—the moves signaled the start of a new era and, most importantly, cleared a massive amount of salary.
Moreover, the Bulls found success with the 11th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Matas Buzelis. After a slow start, Buzelis earned All-Rookie Second Team honors, finishing with averages of 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers, showcasing flashes of elite two-way potential.
The Chicago Bulls' roster lacks star power
Yet, beyond Buzelis’ flashes of star potential, the Bulls still lack a bona fide star or clear primary option. Josh Giddey just signed a $100 million extension, but he profiles more as a playmaker than a go-to scorer. For the 22-year-old floor general, averaging around 20 points per game feels like a realistic best-case scenario.
As it stands, Coby White is the Bulls’ closest thing to a No. 1 option. He led the team in scoring last season, averaging 20.4 points per game, a figure that jumped to 24.5 after the LaVine trade. Just as encouraging were his shooting splits: an efficient 49.4/36.8/91.2 once he took over as the primary scorer.
Still, it’s hard to envision White as the best player on a contending team. He’s a highly efficient three-level scorer, but we’ve yet to see if he can truly lead a team. There’s real potential for a Jalen Brunson–type leap, but until it happens, it’s only potential.
Beyond Buzelis, Giddey, and White, there isn’t another Bull who could realistically be mentioned as a potential star or primary option. As with any 18-year-old lottery pick, there’s hope that Noa Essengue blossoms into one, but for now, he’s still a long way off.
Lastly, there’s 34-year-old Nikola Vucevic—and that fact alone says plenty. He’s still capable of putting up 20 and 10 next season, but with his 35th birthday looming, it’s likely his final year in Chicago.
Bulls fans may be quick to anoint Buzelis as the franchise’s next star, but the 20-year-old still has plenty to refine before earning that label. That reality might be disappointing, but it shouldn’t diminish the optimism sparked by Chicago’s recent string of intriguing moves.