The Chicago Bulls haven’t had a young player generate this much excitement since Derrick Rose returned home as the No. 1 overall pick in 2008. Now, 17 years later, the franchise once again looks to a hometown product as its potential savior. Matas Buzelis, the 6-foot-10 forward who was selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, enters his sophomore season with sky-high expectations. After an uneven rookie year that saw him oscillate between flashes of brilliance and long stretches of inconsistency, Buzelis finds himself in the spotlight as the Bulls look to chart a new course for their franchise.

This moment is not unfamiliar to Buzelis. Once projected as a potential No. 1 pick during his days with the G League Ignite, he’s long been seen as a future star. While his

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