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News, Blog and Guides2024 NBA Draft: Breaking Down Chicago Bulls Draft Class
The Chicago Bulls had one draft pick in this past draft and G League Ignite prospect Matas Buzelis. How will he fit the organization?
Isaac Condra | 5 Hours Ago
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are heading into rebuild mode. The loss of DeMar DeRozan was the nail in the coffin for the Bulls as he will be playing for the Sacramento Kings next season to form a big three between De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. In this year’s draft, the Bulls only had one selection.
Let’s dive into the selection they made and the summary of their draft.
No. 11: Matas Buzelis
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
With their only draft pick, they selected Chicago native Matas Buzelis out of the G League Ignite program. Buzelis was at one point considered a potential number one pick candidate but as the season went along he saw his name slip a bit on mock drafts and draft boards. The 6-foot-10 forward is a very good finisher around the rim due to his touch and creativity at his size.
He absolutely thrives in the open floor where he’s able to showcase his finishing versatility, ball-handling skills and fluidity. There’s a chance Buzelis becomes a very good two-way player in the NBA as he has a high ceiling as a defender. Amongst all wings, he might be the best shot-blocker in the draft and he also moves his feet very well laterally which allows him to contain ball-handlers off the dribble.
The potential to be a great versatile defender is very enticing. Buzelis has also shown flashes of being a capable secondary playmaker and ball-handler as he showcases an advanced feel for the game. The young wing has a lot of potential on both ends of the floor and he has a chance to be one of the best players out of this draft.
Draft Summary
With the Bulls going into rebuild mode, this pick makes a lot of sense as Buzelis isn’t quite a finished product or polished so being in an environment where he doesn’t have to feel pressured to win right away would be a big relief off his shoulders and allow him to play with a lot of freedom. It has been rumored that the Bull's front office is actively trying to trade away Zach LaVine and Nikola Vukcevic so that they really can commit to a full rebuild.
Losing DeRozan certainly is a bummer and takes away any chances of them competing for a playoff spot this upcoming season. Buzelis has a lot of potential to be a high-level two-way player similar to Franz Wagner on the Orlando Magic. He still needs to improve as an outside shooter and get stronger, but give him a couple of years and he has a chance to be the face of the franchise.
It’s also pretty cool that Buzelis is a Chicago native so he understands how important it is to bring success to the Bulls and with that there’s a bigger chance he stays committed to the Bulls long-term if both sides really want to make it happen. Overall this was a very good draft out of the Bulls and the city of Chicago might be a bit nervous going into rebuild mode, but they should be very excited about the future as well.
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