It's more than fair to call this year's trade deadline a failure for the Chicago Bulls. On the bright side, even after holding onto veterans like Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, the team is still headed for what could potentially become a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
That should make this summer's goal vividly clear: Build around Matas Buzelis.
Since Buzelis became a heavy staple in Head Coach Billy Donovan's rotation on Jan. 29, the 20-year-old is averaging 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game. He's shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from three on 4.1 attempts.
The rookie is showing he has legitimate star potential, which makes the next step in Chicago's franchise evolution obvious.
Bulls must draft the ideal guard to pair with Matas Buzelis
Buzelis was a late addition to last night's Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend. He scored four points in a little more than nine minutes.
The tournament's MVP was San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle. The fourth pick in last year's draft scored 11 points and added three assists in the championship game. He had six points, four rebounds and four assists in the semifinal.
On the season, Castle is scoring 12.9 points while adding 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. His size, downhill scoring, unselfishness, defensive versatility and basketball IQ have been a perfect match with Victor Wembanyama.
The Bulls need to find their Castle to Buzelis. And he's certainly not on the current roster.
The closest thing Chicago has is Coby White, but White is more of a scorer than a Swiss army knife like Castle. The 24-year-old has also scored five and seven points, respectively, in the Bulls' last two games.
After trading Zach LaVine, the Bulls surely hoped White would step up to fill that void. He hasn't come close.
Josh Giddey, Lonzo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, Tre Jones or Kevin Huerter are far from what Castle is right now, let alone what he could become.
If the Bulls do land a top-five selection in this summer's draft, they'll have an opportunity to pick someone similar to the Spurs' rookie; someone with size, playmaking ability and basketball IQ who could slot in next to Buzelis.
Dylan Harper, like Castle, is a strong, 6-foot-6 point guard who's shown the ability to create his own shot, get to the rim and facilitator for others. Kasparas Jakucionis is another 6-foot-6 point guard, and while he's not the scorer Harper is, he's a much better floor general and pick-and-roll playmaker. Both freshmen would be solid fits alongside Buzelis.
The Spurs were able to land De'Aaron Fox in the same deal that sent LaVine from Chicago to the Sacramento Kings. He'll take over the point guard spot that Castle was holding. Still, the former Connecticut star has shown his value as Wembanyama's running mate all season long and proved his talent as a lead guard in the Rising Stars games.
That's exactly what the Bulls need to value in this summer's draft.