The Bulls may have stumbled onto a useful piece in Donovan Atwell, but a new NCAA eligibility wrinkle could pull him right back to college before Chicago gets a real look at him.
Atwell, an undrafted guard out of Texas Tech, came into the draft as a borderline second-round type and landed with the Bulls, who were clearly hunting for shooting. He was brought to Las Vegas for Summer League on what was believed to be an Exhibit-10 contract, and he did enough there to make Chicago want to keep him around through training camp.
That’s where things get messy.
Atwell’s path back to Texas Tech opened because he never officially signed that Exhibit-10 deal, and the NCAA’s new 5-in-5 rule - along with the lawsuits that followed - changed his eligibility status. The rule was supposed to give college athletes five years to play five seasons, with the plan set to take effect for students enrolling in 2027. But a federal court ruled that athletes from the 2022 class who have exhausted their eligibility can now play that fifth season, and Atwell is included in that group.
So instead of being locked into Chicago’s plans, he now has a decision to make. He can stay in the NBA mix, sign with a team, and head to training camp with the hope of earning a roster spot or a two-way deal. Or he can return to Texas Tech for another season.
If he goes back, there’s real upside there too. Atwell could benefit from an NIL deal and likely make more money than he would in The League this season. And if he puts together another strong year, he could put himself in position to get drafted next summer and improve his odds of sticking on an NBA roster.
The reason Chicago would hate to lose him is obvious. Executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham already made a splash by taking Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but Atwell looked like another smart find.
Last season at Texas Tech, he led the Red Raiders with 130 made threes while shooting 45.8 percent from deep. In Las Vegas, he kept that touch going, tying for the eighth-most made threes per game at 3.2 and ranking seventh in 3-point percentage over the five games at 45.8 percent.
For a 6-foot-5 shooter with that kind of range, there’s a fit in the NBA. There just might not be a straightforward one in Chicago anymore.
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