The Chicago Bulls have been stuck in mediocrity for a while, but they might have a star to lead them out of it.

This summer hasn’t been all that active for the Bulls. With Josh Giddey’s restricted free agency effectively holding up any big moves, the Bulls haven’t gotten much done.

Still, Chicago has at least added Noa Essengue in the draft and signed Billy Donovan to an extension, so the offseason hasn’t been a complete loss. Of course, the Bulls never really planned on making any significant moves this summer, and they might simply be hoping one of their youngest players can break out in the near future.

The Matas Buzelis era?

In a recent Bleacher Report article from Grant Hughes, he predicted who every NBA team’s best player would be in three years. For the Bulls, there aren’t any obvious choices at first glance, but Hughes settled on Matas Buzelis to be Chicago’s top dog by 2028.

Citing Buzelis’ athleticism, size and post-All-Star breakout last season, Hughes made a compelling case for Buzelis to be the Bulls’ most important player moving forward. Although there could be some other interesting choices like Giddey, Buzelis’ potential is likely higher than anyone else on the roster, and with the Bulls’ ability to allow him to develop, it was an easy choice.

While Chicago might not necessarily be racking up wins over the next few years, getting Buzelis ready to take on a bigger role while continuing to add top-end talent through the draft could be the formula to finally get the Bulls back to the top of the East.