Jul 01, 2027 should be a date heavily accounted for on Bulls forward Matas Buzelis’ calendar of choice. The first day of July 2027 marks the day that Buzelis becomes extension-eligible to negotiate and sign a new NBA contract with the Chicago Bulls, according to Spotrac.
However, the circumstances that will largely decide whether there is an extension waiting for Buzelis or a treacherous path to NBA restricted free agency will be determined by the third-year Bulls forward’s campaign across the 2026-27 82-game NBA regular season.
The context that will frame how the circumstances within Buzelis’ 2026-27 NBA performance are judged for contract valuation purposes is unfolding with each NBA contract extension news hit launching in the remainder of the 2026 NBA offseason. Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson’s five-year, $208 million contract extension is already a relevant data point to factor into Buzelis’ next NBA contract calculus.
Friday, Amen’s twin brother Ausar created an additional data point for team Buzelis to mull over as they prepare for their own contract extension season, as Ausar Thompson was reported to agree to a five-year, $155 million rookie-scale contract extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Buzelis rarely ever projects a deficit of confidence in his words or actions. Yet, the Thompson twins’ new NBA contracts are critical benchmarks that Buzelis should use to exercise self-awareness and ground his expectations about his next NBA contract price point.
Ausar Thompson’s journey to a Pistons extension
As much as Buzelis’ podcast appearance comments throughout the 2026 NBA offseason have branded him as somewhat of a midrange jump-shot enthusiast, he would do well to make sure his defensive effort going into the 2026-27 NBA season is unassailable.
That’s exactly what Ausar Thompson did to great effect, considering Ausar is not an offensive threat in any capacity when he’s on the floor for the Pistons. Thompson captured the 2025-26 NBA Steals title, averaging a league-leading 2.0 steals per game and earning NBA All-Defensive First Team recognition.
If it were 10 years ago, perhaps a 19%-of-the-salary-cap contract extension would go to a stat-sheet-stuffing scorer who slacked off on the defensive end of the court, but in 2026, Ausar Thompson’s defensive reputation through his first three NBA seasons has earned him a nice payday.
Buzelis’ play will define his pay
Matas Buzelis has had good moments in his first two NBA seasons, and his gameplay has been uneven on both ends of the court. Buzelis is an average three-point shooter, and although he is known for eye-catching shot blocks, he is still susceptible to dying on ball screens when he’s drawn into pick-and-roll actions.
If Buzelis thinks his value is anywhere near Ausar Thompson (never mind Amen), then he must have the utmost urgency in not only delivering maximum defensive effort in all facets of NBA defense on a nightly basis; Buzelis must also challenge himself to become the NBA Blocks champion of the 2026-27 NBA season.
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