The Chicago Bulls selected Matas Buzelis with the 11th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and the Chicago native had a promising rookie year. After a sophomore campaign that featured major strides, the 21-year-old seems poised for a breakout 2026-27 season.
Let’s take a look at how this past season went for Buzelis, where he improved the most and how big year three can be for him.
Buzelis grew dramatically from year one to year two
As a rookie in 2024-25, Buzelis played in 80 games, starting 31. He averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, one assist and 0.9 blocks per game. He shot 45.4 percent from the field.
In year two, Buzelis played in 77 games, starting every one. His minutes per game significantly increased from 18.9 to 29.2, and his stats jumped in each of the aforementioned categories.
As a consistent starter receiving lots of playing time, Buzelis scored 16.3 points, grabbed 5.8 boards and dished out 2.1 assists per game. He also averaged 1.5 blocks per game and shot 46.3 percent from the field.
In the 2025-26 regular season, Buzelis also scored more than 25 points seven times. He notably scored a career-high 41 points in an overtime win against the Golden State Warriors on March 10.
During his rookie season, he only scored more than 25 points twice, logging a 28-point game and a 31-point game.
Buzelis showed an ability to thrive with more playing time in year two, especially on the offensive end despite receiving most of the attention from opposing defenses.
Year three could be a breakout season for Buzelis
Buzelis will enter year three with more experience, especially in being a consistent starter and playing lots of minutes per game — he knows more about playing a bigger role.
And with his huge leap in year two, fans can expect more growth from Buzelis this upcoming season.
He will also have a new head coach, who may help him take his game further with potential new approaches on the offensive end.
His development should be a focus in the offseason for the organization. But the team should still take advantage of its two first-round picks to draft talented players to help fill significant roster needs.
The Bulls are in need of a No. 1 scoring option. Buzelis can fill that role this season and prove that he is the franchise player for years to come.
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