18.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers on 38.6 percent shooting. No, that’s not an All-Star, it’s the per-36-minute production of Chicago Bulls reserve big man Jalen Smith.
The 25-year-old has seemingly revived his value in Chicago, only halfway through his second season. After signing a three-year, $27 million deal in the 2024 offseason, Smith struggled in his first year, raising doubts that the Bulls had overpaid for the former Terrapin.
Jalen Smith: from struggles to opportunity
In his first season with the Bulls, Smith managed 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game, but he shot just 32.4 percent from three. Chicago fared worse with him on the court, and when Zach Collins arrived via midseason trade, Smith found himself outplayed and demoted on the depth chart.
To start the 2025-26 campaign, Smith was given a fresh opportunity. With Chicago aiming to play bigger and Collins sidelined, he began the season as the backup center and made the most of it, showing the skill set that had excited the Bulls when they signed him.
Stepping up in an expanded role
Smith’s role kept expanding as the season wore on. With the Bulls leaning into a "double-big" look, Matas Buzelis shifted to small forward, and Collins, once again sidelined by a toe injury, Smith saw more playing time—and he continued to make it count, averaging 12.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game in January.
The biggest evidence of Smith’s impact? His on/off splits. With him on the floor, the Bulls are almost 14 points per 100 possessions better, a mark in the 97th percentile league-wide. His contributions are evident on both ends, ranking in the 80th percentile or higher offensively and defensively.
By contrast, the Bulls were 5.4 points per 100 possessions worse with former starting center Nikola Vucevic on the floor, ranking in the 23rd percentile. Chicago also allowed 4.5 more points per 100 possessions whenever Vucevic played, highlighting a longstanding weakness in their interior defense that he only exacerbated.
With Vucevic out of the picture following a surprising trade to the Boston Celtics that sent him and a future second-round pick in exchange for Anfernee Simons and a 2026 second-rounder, Smith is now the Bulls’ de facto starting center. It’s a role he arguably deserved, even with Vooch still around.
It’s officially official. With Collins sidelined until after the All-Star break (and possibly for the season), Smith is the Bulls’ only big man—and he finally has the chance to prove whether his eye-popping per-36 stats can hold up in a larger role.
Smith’s first game without Vucevic offered a glimpse of what’s to come: 16 points, five rebounds, and three triples in just 20 minutes. With more playing time on the horizon, he has the chance to prove that his per-36 numbers can carry over, and that the Bulls’ immediate future at center is in good hands.