Matas Buzelis' Surprising Admission About New Bulls Teammate Yuki Kawamura

Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis found something out about his teammate's personality.

Team Strictly guard Yuki Kawamura (7) of the Memphis Hustle before the G-League-Next Up Game against Team Swish Cultures at Moscone Center. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The upcoming season for the Chicago Bulls will be one defined by youth. Of the 19 players currently on the Chicago roster, 14 are 25 or younger.

Chicago is hoping this infusion of youth will be the key to improving on their 39-43 record last season, where they were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Play-In tournament and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

An easier aspect of building a roster of so many young players is the effort of building synergy within the team. Players coming in at similar levels and a shared generation are likelier to build a close team bond, something that hopefully translates to success in the regular season.

Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) grabs a rebound in front of Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Preseason practices are a major point where new teammates get to know each other and build that bond before the season proper gets going. They learn each other's play styles and learn how to play together. They also get acquainted with each other's personalities, and when forward Matas Buzelis got acquainted with point guard Yuki Kawamura, he made a surprising discovery.

Kawamura the Trash-Talker

"Yuki likes to talk a lot of trash. He loves to do that," Buzelis said (via CHGO Bulls on X). "Every time he's with me he's talking to trash to me. I just wanted to say 'Hi. Good morning,' and he's already ready to go, especially when there's scrimmages."

Yuki Kawamura is a big trash talker, according to his Bulls teammate Matas Buzelis 🗣️🗣️🗣️

Shoutout to our friend @msmeliss024 for pulling this one 😁🙌 pic.twitter.com/PZCub0WSYk

— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) September 29, 2025

Even if Kawamura is giving him a hard time, the trash talk and competitive fire are clearly something that Buzelis finds endearing.

"I respect him, though. I like that."

How Buzelis and Kawamura Look Going into the Season

Kawamura joined the Bulls for the 2025 Summer League after playing his rookie season with the Memphis Grizzlies. He then signed a two-way contract with the Bulls in mid-July.

Kawamura played five games with the Bulls in Summer League, averaging 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals while playing an average of 23.9 minutes per game. He led the team with 31 total assists in the summer, the second-most assists by a Bulls player in a single Las Vegas Summer League session since at least 2013 (per NBA.com).

Buzelis is heading into his second season with the Bulls and looking to improve on his rookie campaign. In 2024-25, the Lithuanian-American forward averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1 assist and 0.9 blocks in 18.9 minutes per game while starting 31 of 80 games he appeared in.

Matas Buzelis wants to win The Most Improved Player of the Year pic.twitter.com/eVe3xjkQB7

— Zachary Draves (@DravesZachary) September 29, 2025

Buzelis is projected for a massive improvement this season, and he has set a goal for himself to become this season's Most Improved Player. While rosters are hammered out in the preseason, Buzelis is a lock for a major role with the Bulls, while Kawamura will be fighting hard to start the season in Chicago and stay there.