What was once deemed a below-average offseason has transformed into a foundational one. Less than a year ago, the Chicago Bulls traded All-NBA Defender Alex Caruso for the underperforming, yet intriguing Josh Giddey; drafted the promising, unpolished Matas Buzelis in the lottery; and, finally, gave up on the DeMar DeRozan-Zach LaVine pairing.

While each move could easily have been applauded at the time, a negative connotation was associated with each move. Why didn’t the Bulls acquire one of Oklahoma City’s numerous draft picks? Why would the Bulls add Buzelis to an already-crowded wing unit? How could the Bulls not extract any valuable draft picks in another trade? Those were a few of many questions posed following the transactions.

Fortunately, the expression “time will tell” plays into Chicago’s favor. Giddey has turned into a borderline All-Star; Buzelis’ month-by-month improvements hint at star potential; and the Bulls’ 39-43 record was the same as a season ago, despite missing DeRozan and trading LaVine at the trade deadline.

Buzelis’ progression from end-of-the-bench player to primary reserve to potential All-NBA Rookie Team member has been one of Chicago’s most noteworthy storylines. The Bulls hit a home run with the 11th-overall pick in last June’s draft, and media outlets have taken notice.

Bulls’ Buzelis goes 6th in Bleacher Report’s Re-Draft

In Bleacher Report’s 2024 NBA Re-Draft, Buzelis goes sixth to the Charlotte Hornets. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale gave props to the 20-year-old rookie, making light of his routine, highlight-worthy plays. Favale wrote of Buzelis, “delivering approximately six to 77 moments per game that suggest he never should have dropped outside the top 10.”

Favale’s light-hearted depiction is representative of what Buzelis brings to the hardwood. The rookie led the Bulls in dunks and blocks. A plus athlete at 6-foot-10, Buzelis is a highlight waiting to happen. Nonetheless, he isn’t your typical flashy, above-the-rim athlete.

The rookie is poised, confident, and plays within his role. Buzelis let the game come to him, never forcing the action. He shot 45.4 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from three. The Chicago native averaged less than a turnover per game and graded out as a net-positive contributor for the Bulls. Chicago was 0.5 points per 100 possessions better with the rookie on the court.

Buzelis remains underrated, despite draft position increase

Yet, despite ranking third among rookies on non-playoff teams in net rating, Buzelis continues to be underrated. Favale’s re-draft went as follows: first, Stephon Castle; second, Alex Sarr; third, Zaccharie Risacher; fourth, Jared McCain; fifth, Reed Sheppard.

There’s an argument to be made that Buzelis is better than all five aforementioned players. While the debate favoring Buzelis over Castle, Risacher, and McCain would be strenuous, it’s rather easy to make Buzelis’ case in favor of Sarr and Sheppard.

Favale pointed out Sarr’s strengths, especially making sure to note the 7-footer’s uniqueness. The NBA pundit wrote, “…here is every player to clear 100 made threes, 100 assists, and 100 blocks as a rookie: Sarr, Chet Holmgren, and Victor Wembanyama.” That’s terrific company. However, what’s overlooked is Sarr’s situation. The 19-year-old suited up in 67 contests, all starts, and averaged 27.1 minutes per game on an abysmal Washington Wizards team.

If Buzelis had suited up for the Wizards, who’s to say he wouldn’t eclipse such marks? For reference, in 18.9 minutes per game, Buzelis notched 96 threes, 79 assists, and 75 blocks. If Buzelis had averaged Sarr’s 27.1 minutes per game, he would have recorded 138 threes, 103 blocks, and 115 assists. What if scenarios aren’t typically upheld in debate, but the entire article is a re-draft—therefore, we’ll side with Buzelis’ hypothetical statistics here.

Lastly, Sheppard’s ranking ahead of Buzelis is most questionable. Sure, Sheppard landed in a tough situation on a veteran-laden roster with ample young prospects. He only appeared in 52 games and played 654 minutes. Still, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 4.4 points while shooting 35.1 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from downtown. He didn’t do nearly enough to abstain from a re-draft slide as steep as fellow Kentucky teammate, Rob Dillingham, who dropped from ninth to 14th.