The Chicago Bulls kept it close to home with their selection in the 2024 NBA draft, selecting Chicago native Matas Buzelis with the No. 11 pick Wednesday night.
A 6-foot-9 power forward, Buzelis will bulk up the frontcourt for the Bulls alongside center Nikola Vučević. Buzelis averaged 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds last season for G League Ignite, the NBA’s attempt at a pre-professional league that folded after four seasons.
On the draft-room floor at the Barclays Center in New York, Buzelis was overcome with tears as he accepted a Bulls hat from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, then presented it to his brother Vince.
“I’m ready to win, man,” Buzelis said in an on-air ESPN interview. “I was born for this.”
A Chicago native, Buzelis played one year of high school ball at Hinsdale Central before transferring to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and then Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.
He grew up in a basketball family — his grandfather played in Lithuanian and USSR professional leagues, his mother was a standout in the Lithuanian youth system and his father worked for the Lithuanian national team after playing professionally in his home country.
At 19, Buzelis also will contribute to a recalibration toward youth for the Bulls after the front office began shaking up the roster last week by trading Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Josh Giddey.
It will continue to be a summer of uncertainty for the team after the front office pledged change in the wake of consecutive seasons without a playoff berth. The Bulls still are engaged in re-signing negotiations with DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams — and could continue to shop Zach LaVine, who missed the majority of last season with a foot injury.
The Atlanta Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick and the Washington Wizards selected Alexandre Sarr with the second pick, continuing a wave of French talent dominating lottery picks in the last few years. The Bulls stayed put in the draft order despite reports they were considering a variety of trades.
