Chicago Bulls Executive Hints at Potential Future of Franchise

A surprising member of the Chicago Bulls organization is being called the team's most important player ahead of the 2025-26 season

Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) points with Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls have been a middling organization the past handful of seasons, falling between sixth and tenth place in the Eastern Conference in each of the last four years. The Bulls have won at least 39 games in each of those four campaigns, but have also only maxed out at 46 wins during that same stretch.

Folks around the organization are confident that better times are ahead for the Chicago Bulls, in large part because of the home run the team hit in last year's draft by selecting Matas Buzelis with the No. 11 overall pick. Buzelis, at one point projected to be a top-three pick, fell to Chicago late in the lottery and impressed with the Bulls as a rookie, earning All-Rookie Second Team Honors.

Matas Buzelis 6’10 drive game pic.twitter.com/Km7O8YyrOg

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) April 5, 2025

A Pivotal Piece?

A recent article by Joe Crowley of the Chicago Sun-Times explores the idea that Buzelis is a truly elite prospect who could become a transformational Swiss Army Knife for an emerging Bulls team. The article features a quote from Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas, who confirmed the notion that the franchise sees Buzelis as a versatile, long-term piece.

“He has so much skill in his bag,” Karnisovas told Crowley. “Shooting threes, blocking shots, running the break, dunking the ball, he’s athletic, he can put it on the floor, create for others, so we’ve seen a lot of it.”

The Bulls have several players that could be fringe All-Stars - Coby and Giddey - but there's only one player on the roster that has an elite-player ceiling ... Matas Buzelis, c'mon down ... save the franchise and the front office ...

Read it ...https://t.co/e9MUZZ3Odd

— Joe Cowley (@JCowleyHoops) August 10, 2025

Crowley himself argued that Buzelis was the single most important player on the Chicago Bulls roster, especially given the question marks that surround guards Colby White and Josh Giddey.

"With contract uncertainty still swirling around Coby White and Josh Giddey, there’s no player on the roster more important than Buzelis," Crowley wrote. "And rightfully so — 6-10 forwards aren’t supposed to have the all-around skills Buzelis boasts. There’s no reason that by the 2026-27 season, Buzelis isn’t leading the Bulls in scoring, field-goal percentage and blocked shots..."

WATCH YOUR HEAD! 🤯✈️

Matas Buzelis made the rim shake during his rookie season with the @chicagobulls. #NBADunkWeek pic.twitter.com/bt6y2QJ1D4

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) July 27, 2025

Buzelis' Come Up Story

Buzelis was born to Lithuanian immigrants in Chicago and raised in the city until he transferred to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire as a sophomore.

Buzelis finished his high school career at Bel Aire Academy in Kansas, earning a spot in the prestigious McDonald's All-American game in 2023. Buzelis passed on college in favor of a stint with the now-defunct G League Ignite, an experimental prospect-focused team in the G League that ceased operations after three seasons.

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