Bulls pick Chicago native Matas Buzelis with No. 11 pick in 2024 NBA Draft
CHICAGO (CBS) – The Chicago Bulls selected Matas Buzelis with the 11th overall pick in the NBA Draft Wednesday night.
The Lithuanian-American Chicago native comes out of the G League's Ignite team as a 6-foot-9 forward. During his 2023-24 season, he averaged 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.1 blocks and 0.9 steals per game.
Buzelis, 19, was No. 9 in the CBS Sports Prospect Rankings and drew a comparison to Andrew Wiggins.
He began his high school basketball career playing at Hinsdale Central in the western suburbs before transferring to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.
The Bulls made the pick in a draft class that hasn't been highly touted and lacks superstars. There wasn't even a consensus on who should be taken with the first pick. French forward Zaccharie Risacher was taken No. 1 overall by the Atlanta Hawks.
The draft comes less than a week after the Bulls traded away Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for 21-year-old guard Josh Giddey. Zach LaVine's name has also come up in trade rumors ahead of the draft. Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas said two months ago that changes would be coming after missing the playoffs the last two seasons.
"Going into free agency, I think we're going to be pretty aggressive the way we showed before going into [the] draft and free agency," said Karnisovas. "We obviously cannot roll the same team again and expect different results, so we definitely understand that. Even with some of the positivity with the clutch wins and overtime wins, we're still at 39. Even with the injuries we suffered this year, I think we need to change things."
The Bulls finished the 2023-2024 season with a 39-43 record and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, qualifying for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. After defeating the Hawks, the Bulls fell in the second round to the Miami Heat, losing out on a spot in the playoffs.
Cody Westerlund, who covers the Bulls for 670 The Score, said the team has had discussions about moving up and moving back in the draft order.
"But in this case, it's interesting too because I think what the Bulls do will tell us a little bit about their direction here as free agency looms in about a week as well," Westerlund said.
He added that the team drafting a more "ready-made" player might suggest the team is ready to bring veteran DeMar DeRozan back and compete for a playoff spot next season. But if they draft a player who is a "little more raw" and younger, that could signal "here comes the bigger rebuild, or at least a bigger step back maybe."
Other draft notes
Former University of Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. was taken with the No. 27 overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday night.
CBS Sports called Shannon a "ball-dominant wing with three-level scoring chops and plenty of defensive upside."
The Lincoln Park High School alum is coming off a season in which he led the Illini to the Big Ten Tournament title and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It was also a tumultuous season after being charged and then acquitted on a rape charge.
Purdue University Center Zach Edey, the two-time reigning National Player of the Year, was taken No. 9 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Indiana center Kel'el Ware was picked No. 15 overall by the Miami Heat.
Rolling Meadows' Cam Christie was taken 46th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers, while Simeon alum Antonio Reeves was taken 47th overall to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Round 2 is scheduled to take place on Thursday evening.
CBS Sports contributed to this report.