Despite a flurry of trade deadline moves that left the Chicago Bulls looking like a brand-new team, one thing remains constant: Matas Buzelis is still standing-and he’s not just here to blend in. The rookie forward has been selected to take part in the NBA Rising Stars Game during All-Star Weekend, a well-earned nod to his strong start in the league. But make no mistake, Buzelis has his eyes on a much bigger stage.
“Everything is exciting for me still,” Buzelis said of his upcoming trip to Los Angeles. “Anything you get to participate in is an honor and exciting, but I’m not going to lie, yeah, I want to be in that Sunday game for sure.”
That “Sunday game,” of course, is the All-Star Game itself. And while he’s not there yet, Buzelis isn’t shy about setting the bar high. He’s not just chasing the spotlight-he’s chasing greatness.
“I’m fully capable of becoming a great player and this is just the process it is going to be for me,” he said. “But I know for a fact that every year I’m going to get better as a player. I know that will happen.”
That kind of confidence doesn’t come out of nowhere. Buzelis has shown flashes of real two-way potential this season-averaging 15.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game-while navigating a Bulls roster that’s been turned upside down.
And despite the team’s current six-game skid, including a 124-105 loss to the Celtics on Wednesday, Buzelis isn’t backing down from the challenge. If anything, he’s leaning in.
“I’m going to work extremely hard, push myself until exhaustion to become that player,” he said.
That mindset is exactly what you want to hear from a young player who’s suddenly become one of the few remaining foundational pieces on a team in transition. The Bulls have parted ways with several key contributors-Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Nikola Vucevic, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, and Kevin Huerter among them-and Buzelis is now adjusting to a brand-new supporting cast. That’s no easy task for a rookie, but he’s handling it with maturity beyond his years.
Still, even as he talks about individual goals, Buzelis keeps circling back to the team.
“I’m more worried about this team and as a collective group what can we achieve,” he said. “I’m all up for the challenge of becoming whatever people say or believe - All-Star, yada, yada.”
That’s the kind of quote that tells you everything you need to know. Buzelis isn’t just chasing accolades-he’s chasing wins.
And in a season where the Bulls are searching for a new identity, that kind of leadership matters. He’s not just surviving the rebuild-he’s trying to be the cornerstone of what comes next.
So while the Rising Stars Game is a nice moment, it’s clear Buzelis is aiming much higher. He’s not content being a promising rookie.
He wants to be a franchise player. And if his words-and more importantly, his work ethic-hold true, the Bulls might have found exactly that.