BALLADEX
The Index · Live

Matas BuzelisChicago Bulls · #14

Forward · 6'8", 196 lb · Chicago, Illinois · Age 22 · 2nd season

Matas Buzelis is a 6-foot-8 Lithuanian-American forward for the Chicago Bulls, born in Chicago and drafted 11th in 2024 out of the G League Ignite. An athletic two-way wing/forward and 2025 All-Rookie Second Team pick, he made a major leap in his second season — roughly doubling his scoring to 16.3 points a game with a 41-point high — as a rising cornerstone of the Bulls' rebuild.

Chicago Bulls rosterMore Forwards
MVP race · #108Forward rank · #49Balladex Impact · 62
⚖ Quick compare
Analysis by Beau Thoutt · Balladex · Updated
M
Matas Buzelis
◆ Rated
Chicago Bulls · #14 · Forward
Matas Buzelis
Season avg16.3 pts · 5.8 reb · 2.1 ast · .463 fg
Career avg12.4 pts · 4.6 reb · 1.5 ast · .458 fg
Live win probabilityBulls 56%
Balladex model · projected 120–119 · 100.2 pace
Tonight's projectionmodel
22.3pts
7.2reb
3.0ast
56%win
Tonight's matchup · who he'll mainly guardhead-to-head
Matas Buzelis
Chicago Bulls · Forward
C-
vs
82
Evan Mobley
Cleveland Cavaliers · Strong defender
Category breakout
Head-to-head history
Home/away splits from recent games; live grades from the DNA model.
LADDER#108 in the Balladex MVP raceIMPACTBalladex Impact 62 — Solid starter tierINDEXMatas Buzelis · Chicago BullsLADDER#108 in the Balladex MVP raceIMPACTBalladex Impact 62 — Solid starter tierINDEXMatas Buzelis · Chicago Bulls
Scouting report

Matas Buzelis — the report card

Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades from the DNA model + real production.

C
Athletic Two-Way Wing · Breakout · Impact 62
Matas Buzelis is a 6-foot-8 Lithuanian-American forward for the Chicago Bulls, born in Chicago and drafted 11th in 2024 out of the G League Ignite. An
C-
Offense
C
Defense
C-
Feel / IQ
D
Playmaking
Below average creator
tap for the data ↓
C+
Scoring
Average scorer
tap for the data ↓
C
Rebounding
Average on the glass
tap for the data ↓
C
3PT / spacing
Average spacing
tap for the data ↓
B-
Perimeter D
Strong on the perimeter
tap for the data ↓
D
Paint / rim D
Below average at the rim
tap for the data ↓
C+
Clutch
Average late
tap for the data ↓
C+
Athleticism
Strong tools
tap for the data ↓
C-
Basketball IQ
Reads the game
tap for the data ↓
A+
Durability
Availability
tap for the data ↓
Act II

Where Matas Buzelis stands

Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.

The laddersmodel · recomputes nightly
1
Nikola Jokić DEN▬
29%
2
Luka Doncic LAL▬
20%
3
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OKC▬
12%
4
Giannis Antetokounmpo MIA▬
4%
5
Victor Wembanyama SAS▬
3%
6
Anthony Edwards MIN▬
2%
7
Tyrese Maxey PHI▬
2%
8
Jamal Murray DEN▬
2%
✦ Balladex Consensus: #126 of 384 — a blend of the Impact index, current production, career résumé and live search demand. Recomputes as the data does.
Futures & chases
<1%MVP odds
62Impact index
138Star score
Career scoring average12.4 ppg
Seasons in the index2
Accolades on file2
1× All-Rookie Second Team (2025) · 11th Draft pick (2024)
Stat explorer

Matas Buzelis — every number, three levels deep

Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.

C+
Scoring
16.3 PPG
drill in ↓
D
Playmaking
2.1 APG
drill in ↓
C
Rebounding
5.8 RPG
drill in ↓
C
Shooting
.349 3P%
drill in ↓
The engine

How the model sees Matas Buzelis

Projection = per-minute rate × projected minutes. Rates are recency- and health-weighted, aged along a per-stat curve, and adjusted for live usage/role. No black box — every number shows its work.

Projected 2026-27  43% confidence
20.1
pts
16.2–24.0
6.6
reb
4.9–8.3
2.6
ast
1.2–4.0
32.2
min
proj
78
gp
health
.460
fg%
~base
.353
3p%
~base
Bands widen as confidence drops. Derived live from the real 2-season history below.
What moves the points line vs last season
Last season 16.3 → projected 20.1 PPG
Minutes / role
+1.7
Development (his trend)
+1.5
Age curve
+0.2
Live context
+0.4
Net vs last season+3.8 PPG
Everything it reads
📊
2 seasons of per-minute rates
every box line, minutes-normalized
real
⚖
Recency × games-played weight
recent, healthy seasons anchor the baseline
auto
📈
Weighted least-squares trend
his own trajectory, read season over season
+dev
🕰
Per-stat aging curves
age 22 — applied per stat
curve
🔌
Live role context
usage & role shifts fold in when the feed is present
+ctx
🏥
Durability signal
GP last 3: 80 / 77 → games & confidence
health
The real history it trains onsource: Basketball-Reference · verified

Matas Buzelis career stats, season by season

Career stats by season
SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2024-258018.98.63.51.0.454.361
2025-267729.216.35.82.1.463.349
Career15724.012.44.61.5
Source: Basketball-Reference. Backtested against completed player-seasons in the index. The same engine powers Tonight's projection, EraLab, and the role simulator — one model, asked different questions. Illustrative.
Act III

The Lab

Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.

Gold = MVP / Championship season · hover any bar. Real per-game data; per-36 & totals derived.
EraLab · the stat time machinenovel
Re-express a season in today's pace-and-space.
—raw PPG
→
—in 2026 pace
why
Player DNA + compssimilarity model
Scoring map · clickable zonesShotChart
Team-tinted. Modeled where tracking data is absent.
Role simulatorpowered by GM engine
Change the roster around him — his projection updates live.
Projected line shifts to — usage , assists rise as primary initiator. Title odds . Illustrative.
Context

Are the Chicago Bulls built to win?

Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.

29–53proj record
#11conf seed
-4.5net rtg
112.5off rtg
117def rtg
1%playoff odds
Roster delta · what changed
Aggressive hedge & help — Hedges hard on ball screens and rotates aggressive help from the weak side. Core trending steady. Defensive anchors: Isaac Okoro, Nic Claxton.
How his role moves
Projected 29–53, 11th in the East. Real team projection from the roster + last-season baselines. His usage, minutes and creation load move with roster health.
Balladex Impact
62 of 99
Solid starter tier.
Rarity
◆ Rated
Collectible tier.
Résumé
2 accolades
1× All-Rookie Second Team (2025) · 11th Draft pick (2024)
Act IV

The Ballad of Matas Buzelis

Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.

Oct 13, 2004

The beginning

An athletic 6-foot-8 two-way forward on the rise — a hometown cornerstone for the Bulls.

Chicago Bulls

Turning pro

Drafted 11th overall, 2024 as a Forward.

true

An athletic 6-foot-8 two-way forward on the rise — a hometown cornerstone for the Bulls.

Chapter

A Chicago native of Lithuanian heritage, Buzelis reached the NBA via the G League Ignite before Chicago drafted him 11th in 2024.

Chapter

He made the 2025 All-Rookie Second Team as an athletic two-way forward.

▶
▶
Buzelis's story
The documentary, narrated

Off the court

Measurables ESPN
Active
Height
6' 8"
Weight
209 lbs
Experience
2nd Season
Draft
11th overall, 2024
Born
Chicago, Illinois
Age
22
Jersey
#14
Beyond the game

Buzelis comes from remarkable athletic lineage — a grandfather who captained Žalgiris Kaunas to six Lithuanian titles, a grandmother who won European handball championships, and parents who played pro basketball in Lithuania. A Chicago native of Lithuanian heritage, he was the first Lithuanian to compete in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

His on-court identity is athletic, two-way forward play — a rim-running, shot-blocking (1.5 a game) 6-foot-8 forward with leaping ability and rising scoring. His playmaking is still developing, but his athleticism, shot-blocking, and second-season scoring jump mark him as a genuine two-way cornerstone for a rebuilding Bulls team.

In the news ESPN
2026 NBA buzz: Latest free agency and trade updates
We're tracking deals, trades and buzz across the NBA, including the latest on Jonathan Kuminga.
Timberwolves trade 3-and-D wing Josh Green to Jazz
The Timberwolves have traded Josh Green and cash to the Jazz for Cody Williams and John Konchar.
Eala, Clarkson: It's been a big year for the Philippines
"When you got Filipino blood, you take the whole country with you, the whole pride... I don't think any other nationality does it the same." Alex Eala and Jordan Clarkson discuss the importance of representing the Philippines.
'So proud of you': Jordan Clarkson meets Alex Eala at the US Open
Alex Eala and Jordan Clarkson, among the brightest Filipino sports stars, get together at the US Open in New York to share their stories of success and heritage.
Knicks fan reflects on viral Finals Game 4 win probability graph tattoo
The Knicks pulled off the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history in Game 4 against the Spurs earlier this summer, and one fan paid tribute with some distinctive ink.
'The Hoop Collective': Episodes of Brian Windhorst's NBA podcast
Here are the top highlights from Brian Windhorst's "The Hoop Collective" podcast, from breaking news to the latest intel and reaction from around the NBA.
The person

An athletic, two-way forward — rim-running, shot-blocking, and rising scoring.

Athletic forwardA leaping, rim-running 6-foot-8 two-way wing.
Shot-blocker1.5 blocks a game — high for a forward.
Rising scorerRoughly doubled his scoring in year two.
Verified profiles & sources
WikipediaNBA.comBasketball-ReferenceESPN
FAQ

Matas Buzelis — frequently asked

The questions people ask most about Matas Buzelis, answered.

What kind of player is Matas Buzelis?
An athletic two-way forward — a rim-running, shot-blocking 6-foot-8 wing/forward with a rising scoring game, and a 2025 All-Rookie Second Team pick.
How did Matas Buzelis reach the NBA?
He played for the G League Ignite instead of college before Chicago — his hometown team — drafted him 11th in 2024.
How did Matas Buzelis develop in his second season?
He roughly doubled his scoring to 16.3 points a game with 1.5 blocks and a career-high 41 points, becoming a full-time starter.
Matas Buzelis career stats & accolades are real, and team projections and recent-game home/away splits are computed from real production. DNA ratings, grades, tonight's projection, ladders, live win probability and simulator outputs are Balladex model output. Not affiliated with the NBA.
✦ Companion
Ask about Matas Buzelis

Availability & durability

games played vs season length
Career availability
96%
2 seasons
Last 3 seasons
96%
7 games missed
Games missed
7
career, schedule-adj.
Durability
Iron man
steady
Availability by season
80
24-25
77
25-26

Iron man. Availability trend is steady — 96% of games over the last three seasons, low of 94% in 2025-26.

Availability = games played ÷ season length (schedule-adjusted for lockout and COVID seasons). A durability signal from real game data, not a medical assessment.

More Chicago Bulls players

Andres NocioniAndres NocioniArtis GilmoreArtis GilmoreBen GordonBen GordonBill CartwrightBill CartwrightCaleb WilsonCaleb WilsonChet WalkerChet WalkerDailyn SwainDailyn SwainDennis RodmanDennis Rodman

Other Forwards to compare

Giannis AntetokounmpoGiannis AntetokounmpoKawhi LeonardKawhi LeonardKevin DurantKevin DurantCarmelo AnthonyCarmelo AnthonyJayson TatumJayson TatumJaylen BrownJaylen BrownPascal SiakamPascal SiakamJimmy ButlerJimmy ButlerLarry BirdLarry BirdLeBron JamesLeBron James
All NBA players →Chicago Bulls roster →Compare players →#448 all-time →Best Forwards ever →