No one knows what to make of the Chicago Bulls.
If every single thing broke right for them, the Bulls could compete for a play-in spot next season even though they have traded away their two best veteran players.
Of course, the opposite is also true, as the Bulls could find themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference if they make more trades or suffer injuries to any of their key players.
That may not be the worst outcome, as the Bulls own a protected 2025 draft pick that they’d love to hold onto, and next year’s group has some high-level talent.
That’s a long way of saying that expectations are unclear and it will be a difficult season to predict.
The Bulls haven’t taken home much hardware in the form of NBA awards in recent years, but they have three players entering next season who could represent value bets depending on which path the Bulls end up on.
Josh Giddey for Most Improved Player
Josh Giddey could be one of the big winners of the offseason, as he left a team with a ball-dominant guard to join one where he will be the primary point guard.
It’s possible that Giddey will put up gaudy numbers in an increased role, and if the Bulls are competitive next season, he’ll be given plenty of credit.
DraftKings currently has him listed at +2000 behind Victor Wembanyama (+1000), Evan Mobley (+1000), Jonathan Kuminga (+1400) and Scottie Barnes (+1600) for Most Improved Player next season.
Matas Buzelis for Rookie of the Year
Buzelis already predicted he would win the award, so if you believe in the rookie’s confidence, he’s not a bad bet at +1000. DraftKings has Zach Edey as the favorite, which makes sense, as he is considered one of the most NBA-ready prospects and went to a good team in Memphis.
Buzelis is in the middle of a group with Stephon Castle and Dalton Knecht, who have the same odds.
Rookie of the Year usually isn’t determined by team success, so if the Bulls blow up their roster even more and Buzelis ends up a starter, he could put up big numbers.
Ayo Dosunmu for Most Improved Player
Another player who could see a big increase in role is Ayo Dosunmu, who had a mini-breakout season last year and may have another leap in him.
Dosunmu is already very good defensively and was efficient on the offensive end, so a bump in his scoring average as well as more recognition for his defense with Caruso gone could be enough to get him some attention for the award.
Dosunmu is +15000 to win MIP, so this is a longshot bet, but I like his chances more than Coby White (+3000) and Patrick Williams (+10000) as White’s numbers may not go up that much and the word “improve” has never applied to Patrick Williams.