Chicago Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas praised rookie Matas Buzelis as a multi-skilled foundation piece for the franchise, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Karnisovas told Cowley, “He has so much skill in his bag,” and added that Buzelis “wants to be coached, he wants to be coached hard and he wants to be accountable.”
That endorsement arrives after a rookie season in which Buzelis played 80 games, started 31, and averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.9 minutes.
The 6‑10 forward finished the year shooting 45.4% from the floor and 36.1% from three, showing a rare blend of size, shooting and playmaking for his age.
He closed strong as well, averaging 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks over his final 12 games, per team game logs.
Chicago’s front office and coaching staff clearly see more than box-score flashes in Buzelis; they point to his versatility — shot‑blocking, transition finishing, dribble creation and perimeter shooting.
Sources in Cowley’s piece note that Buzelis immediately prioritized strength work this offseason and performed well in voluntary training sessions and Summer League, averaging 22.5 points in two Las Vegas games.
With uncertainty lingering over roster pieces like Coby White and Josh Giddey, Chicago appears prepared to let Buzelis grow into a leading role.
