It seems as though Matas Buzelis suddenly has become the forgotten man on the Bulls’ roster.
Heck, NBA 2K27 didn’t even show the multitalented forward his due respect, giving him an 81 ranking on the latest version of the gaming franchise. That puts him in the same territory as Onyeka Okongwu, Walker Kessler and Devin Vassell.
At last look, however, Okongwu, Kessler and Vassell didn’t join the list of players with at least 170 three-pointers and 115 blocked shots in the same season in 2025-26. Nope, that was Buzelis who moved into that exclusive neighborhood, which also features Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Rasheed Wallace, Brook Lopez and Myles Turner. Buzelis is the youngest of that group to do it.
Not bad for someone in the second season of his NBA career and who turned 21 last October.
The offseason hype surrounding the Bulls, however, is about rookie Caleb Wilson, new coach Tiago Splitter, a new front office led by Bryson Graham and even the addition of free-agent guard Norman Powell, who is coming off his first All-Star season.
Just a little reminder that Buzelis said at the end of last season that he was going to continue chasing greatness and showing the Bulls he can be a winning player.
‘‘I know this summer I am going to work my butt off,’’ Buzelis said in his exit interview with the media in April. ‘‘The whole summer, it’s going to be a hard summer for me. Getting my body stronger and sharpening pretty much everything. But mainly the body part, the shot, the handle, just everything. The main thing will be [adding] the strength.’’
He already was checking those boxes in late July, when he showed up to Las Vegas to watch Summer League play and looked stronger.
‘‘I always want more for myself and the team,’’ Buzelis said. ‘‘I definitely believe that I am [a foundation piece]. I know for a fact I am only going to get better. If they want me here and they believe in me, I’m here. I believe I am definitely a big piece, and I am going to continue to work and put my head down and grind to show it.’’
And what a time for him to show it, with Buzelis having a new-look frontcourt that might play to his strengths even more.
The additions of Nic Claxton and Wilson not only will give Buzelis more help protecting the rim, they also will allow him to play either forward spot, taking advantage of his versatility.
There were times in Summer League play that Wilson looked capable of playing small forward, but Buzelis showed it at the NBA level last season. According to Basketball Index, he was in the 72nd percentile in matchup difficulty and in the 84th percentile in perimeter isolation defense.
That shows Buzelis can develop into an elite two-way player who can protect the rim at an elite level but also switch to any player and be a force on the perimeter.
If Wilson’s skills translate to NBA basketball — which they should — and Claxton’s back issues are behind him, Splitter will have a frontcourt that has the potential to make life difficult for opponents in the paint and on the perimeter alike.
Buzelis will be a major reason why.
Remember him?