Chicago Bulls Off Day: Franchise History, Matas Buzelis' Rise, Ayo Dosunmu's Payday

As the Chicago Bulls travel up north to face the Minnesota Timberwolves, it's the perfect time for some off-day notes.

Let's revisit last night's victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, which gave Chicago its first winning streak since the calendar flipper. Then, two players are giving the Bulls some real reasons for optimism (I know ... rare).

A Ridiculous Scoring Night

Coby White of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) passes the ball against the LA Clippers during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Yes, the Chicago Bulls may still be stuck in mediocrity. And, mhm, the stress is mounting as a high-stakes trade deadline nears. But sports are also supposed to be fun, and the Bulls' performance on Monday night served as a good reminder of that.

While this specific Bulls roster may not be destined for greatness, they sure do know how to light up the scoreboard. Leaning on ball movement and an equal-opportunity scoring attack all year, their latest victory against the Los Angeles Clippers proved to be one of their most explosive offensive performances of the season. By the time the final buzzer sounded, they had a 138-110 victory on 56.5 percent shooting from the field. It was their second-highest scoring regular season game this season, as well as their second-most efficient shooting display.

The second quarter, in particular, was among the best we have seen from any team this season. The Bulls dropped 45 points while going 17-24 from the field. They made eight triples in the frame, as well as missed only one shot from inside the paint.

The red-hot quarter set them up for one of their best performances from behind the arc in franchise history. They finished the night with 25 made threes, tying the most all-time for a Bulls team. The organization had only seen it happen twice before. This also tied them with the Atlanta Hawks for having the most made shots from downtown in any game this season.

But, wait, there's more! Chicago doesn't have that kind of performance from long range without some excellent ball movement that creates open looks. Despite the Clippers coming into the night with the NBA's second-lowest PACE, the Bulls forced them to play their brand of basketball and dished 40 assists.

Bulls PR noted after the game that this is the first time in franchise history that the team has managed back-to-back games with 40+ assists. Even more notable, it's only the 14th time that any NBA team has pulled it off.

Tre Jones led the way in this department with 10 assists off the bench, while Kevin Huerter somewhat surprisingly added 7 dimes of his own. Passing is contagious on this Bulls team, and this identity is only going to continue as Josh Giddey reclaims his lead guard duties soon.

Matas Buzelis' Steady Climb

Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) dunks the ball against the LA Clippers during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Is 2026 the year of Matas Buzelis?

As we inched closer to the turn of the calendar, the 21-year-old started to look increasingly comfortable. The beginning of Year 2 came with some inconsistency, and this stood out after he set the bar high with a "Most Improved Player" goal set in the preseason. However, Buzelis is performing more and more like the consistent difference-maker the Chicago Bulls believe he can be.

It all goes back to when he scored a season-high 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks. Buzelis was 10-11 from the field and also drained a career-high 7 threes. A handful of games later, we saw him set another career-high with 7 assists in a win over the Orlando Magic. He recorded 21 points and 9 rebounds in the same game against one of the NBA's top defenses.

Speaking of which, he made his presence felt against a different elite defense three nights later when he shot 9-12 from the field for 26 points against the Boston Celtics. The Bulls also don't end up snapping the Clippers' six-game win streak without his 21 points on 8-14 shooting. His aggressiveness on the offensive end – and sheer willingness to take on a bigger and bigger offensive workload – is undoubtedly encouraging.

The same can be said about Buzelis sitting atop the Bulls' leaderboard in made threes this season. Now, it's important to note that at least part of that is due to injury trouble for his teammates. Buzelis is the only Bull to appear in every game this season. However, he has also successfully boosted his volume of three-point attempts. The forward is taking 5.2 a night and converting at a decent 35.3 percent clip. This comes after he made 3.3 attempts in 2024-25 on a 36.1 percent success rate.

The defense has been worthy of plenty of praise, too. While he's far from a finished product on that end, Buzelis remains among the best young shot blockers in the NBA. He has swatted 4 shots in two of his last seven outings and at least 2 shots in five. Only Jay Huff of the Indiana Pacers currently has more games in 2025-26 with 2 blocks than Buzelis. Overall, Buzelis sits 9th in the NBA in total blocks this season.

The two-way impact is undeniable, and his increased production in recent weeks goes to show his ability to adjust to being higher up on opponent scouting reports. Throw in his knack for the highlight jam, and it really feels like the Bulls continue to have an emerging star on their hands. To be sure, development isn't always linear. There are bound to be some more bumps in the road for the forward. But there isn't a whole lot more you could want to see from him at this point, particularly for a Bulls organization in desperate need of high-upside talent. Buzelis has done enough to justify being an essential building block moving forward.

Ayo Dosunmu's Payday

Ayo Dosunmu of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) reacts after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls have a tough decision to make over the next few weeks.

Ayo Dosunmu has played the best basketball of his career this season. While the guard had some of his own ups and downs due to injuries to both thumbs, he has still found a way to put up some jaw-dropping numbers. Dosunmu is averaging a career-high 14.6 points on 51.8 percent shooting from the field and 46.1 percent shooting from downtown. The latter number is eye-popping and comes after he shot only 32.8 percent on similar volume last season.

Interestingly enough, Dosunmu is also putting up these numbers despite playing a career low in minutes off the bench. He has genuinely been one of the most efficient performers this season, taking full advantage of nearly every minute he is on the floor.

The last three games, in particular, have been a great example of Dosunmu's excellence. He has scored at least 18 points in each contest while shooting a combined 56.8 percent from the field and 9-13 from downtown. The guard has also accumulated 10 assists and 4 steals in those outings, as well as finished as a +20 contributor in two of the games.

On the one hand, this kind of play is giving Chicago every reason to attempt to re-sign him this offseason. Especially if they do choose to move on from Coby White, why not look to keep Dosunmu on a cheaper deal AND give him more responsibility moving forward?

On the other hand, this output will only raise his price tag. The Bulls may be in a financial position where they don't have to worry too much, but they are also in a position where they have to consider what is best for them long term. In other words, if Dosunmu's value is only going up, might it be best to take advantage of that over this year's trade deadline?

This front office has failed to sell high on their best assets time and again. Dosunmu's elite transition speed, high-IQ decision-making, and serviceable perimeter defense make him feel like a prime candidate for contenders. And, with that being the case, the Bulls do run the risk of another team running up the price to keep him this offseason in unrestricted free agency.

Nevertheless, this might actually be one of those good problems to have. While there is a world where they can generate a nice return for the 25-year-old in the next two weeks, choosing to re-invest in him this offseason would also be an acceptable decision.