The Chicago Bulls clearly like what Matas Buzelis has provided to the organization early in his NBA career.

They showed that with a key contract decision on Friday.

The Bulls have exercised the third-year team option in Buzelis’ contract, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac.

That means that Chicago locks in Buzelis to his 2026-27 season salary at $5.72 million.

Chicago will have until November 2026 to decide whether to exercise his fourth-year option (which covers the 2027-28 season).

Buzelis will make $5.46 million this season in the second year of his NBA career.

The Bulls took Buzelis 11th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. He made All-Rookie second team thanks to a strong second half.

The athletic 6-foot-10 forward averaged 13.3 points per game over his final 35 games, according to Hoops Rumors. He also showed some upside as a shooter in that stretch, knocking down 37.3% of his 3-pointers.

Buzelis will turn 21 on Oct. 13, so he’ll play the whole upcoming season at that age.

Given his skillset, length and athleticism, Buzelis is a guy who can be a part of the Bulls’ core for years to come.

It likely wasn’t much of a question whether to pick up this option, and unless something weird happens, they’ll surely end up picking up that fourth-year option, too.

For now, Buzelis will focus on improving his game in year two while helping the Bulls be competitive.