NBA
MB
#14

Matas Buzelis

Forward · Chicago Bulls · 6'8", 196 lb · Born Oct 13, 2004 · Chicago, Illinois · Drafted 11th overall, 2024
All-Rookie 2nd (2025)🇱🇹 Lithuanian-AmericanAthletic forwardRising
NBAChicago BullsForwards
Compare:vs Okorovs Giddeyvs Essenguevs Williamsvs Jonesvs Gordon
In short

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.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceThu, Nov 12
vsCleveland CavaliersAggressive hedge & help
Proj. points
16.3
range 13.6–19
Line 16.5
48%
to go over
Team win
56%
113–112
Poi 16.3 Lean underReb 5.8 Lean underAss 2.1 Lean overPRA 24.3 Lean over
Likely on himEvan Mobley· 82 Perimeter DStrong defender
15+ pts67%20+ pts11%

Model lines Buzelis at 16.3 pts (range 13.6–19) vs a 16.5 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (48%).

Biggest edge: venue — home floor — small boost.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Buzelis
The Buzelis Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

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

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

🇱🇹 G League Ignite · 11th, 2024Chicago-born

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

All-Rookie 2ndTwo-way

He leaped in year two — 16.3 points, 1.5 blocks, and a career-high 41.

16.3 / 1.5 blk41-pt high

A full-time starter, he's a rising cornerstone of the rebuild.

StarterCornerstone
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
16.3
2025-26
RPG
5.8
per game
APG
2.1
per game
FG%
.463
.349 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

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

Matas Buzelis was born in Chicago to parents who played professional basketball in Lithuania and reached the NBA through the G League Ignite rather than college, averaging 14.3 points there. Chicago drafted him 11th in 2024 — bringing a hometown talent home.

An athletic two-way wing/forward, he made the 2025 All-Rookie Second Team, then leaped in his second season — roughly doubling his scoring to 16.3 points a game with 1.5 blocks and a career-high 41 points — becoming a full-time starter and a rising cornerstone of the Bulls' rebuild.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

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.

PERSONALITY

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.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Athletic Two-Way Wing · Breakout
Temperament
Spark
Leadership
58/100
Scoring67
Playmaking42
Rebounding64
Perimeter D74
Rim protection47
Spacing62
Athleticism70
Clutch66
Athletic finisherTwo-way upsideBreakout wing
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Athletic two-way play

Buzelis's value is athletic, two-way forward play — a rim-running, shot-blocking (1.5 a game) 6-foot-8 forward with elite leaping ability and a rising scoring game. His jump from 8.6 to 16.3 points a game with a locked-in starting role marks him as a rising two-way cornerstone for the Bulls' rebuild.

Playmaking to develop

The developmental area is playmaking — his assist rate remains low — along with continued growth as a shooter. But his athleticism, shot-blocking, and scoring leap give him a clear, ascending trajectory; rounding out his feel and consistency would elevate his ceiling toward a genuine building-block star for Chicago.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-267729.216.35.82.1.463.349

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2025NBA All-Rookie Second Team
2026Career-high 41 points vs. Golden State
HistoryFirst Lithuanian player in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest

Hardware

1×
All-Rookie Second Team (2025)
11th
Draft pick (2024)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A rising athletic two-way forward — a hometown cornerstone for the Bulls' rebuild.

Buzelis's leap from 8.6 to 16.3 points a game with 1.5 blocks and a locked-in starting role positions him as a rising two-way cornerstone. Continued development as a shooter and playmaker would round out his profile; his athleticism, shot-blocking, and scoring jump give him a genuine building-block trajectory.

AthleticismElite
Shot-blockingStrong
ScoringRising
PlaymakingDeveloping

Contract

Draft
11th, 2024 young
Role
Two-way forward cornerstone
Age
21 rising
Bottom line

An athletic, shot-blocking two-way forward with a big second-season scoring leap — a rising hometown cornerstone for the Bulls' rebuild, with playmaking the area to grow.

FAQ

Quick answers

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.