All NBA franchises eventually reach the same tipping point: Go all-in and compete for a championship or tear down the roster and rebuild through the draft. Perhaps we should amend that to almost all NBA franchises, as the Chicago Bulls seem perfectly content to straddle the line between mediocrity and success while doing both.
Case in point, Matas Buzelis. The 11th pick in last year's draft couldn't get on the floor for the first half of his rookie season, but he eventually earned head coach Billy Donovan's trust and started the final 31 games. The 20-year-old scored in double figures in eight straight games and 15 of 17 between Jan. 29 and March 8.
He barely saw the floor, then he played a significant role in Chicago's 15-5 finish to the regular season. That's a microcosm of the franchise's approach to "rebuilding." Get the young players some experience, but not until they're good enough to contribute to winning, which means they don't get enough experience to truly contribute to winning when it's time to make a legitimate push.
If Donovan and the Bulls want to scale back a bit and give their youngsters some real run, here are the four they should focus on.
4 Bulls who need more playing time in 2025-26
1. Ayo Dosunmu
Dosunmu is a mostly proven commodity at this point, but he showed there may still be a little more room for growth before a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely. The Illinois product is 25 years old and completed his fourth NBA season, but he also averaged career highs in points, rebounds and assists while playing his usual brand of physical, competitive defense.
He was Donovan's sixth man before his injury and crossed the 30-minute threshold for the first time in his career. So why does he need more minutes?
Because he'll be an unrestricted free agent after next season. The Bulls will likely hand Josh Giddey an expensive long-term extension this summer, and Coby White, who stepped in comfortably as Chicago's No. 1 offensive option, will be due for a new deal and raise at the same time as Dosunmu.
The front office needs to determine how much Dosunmu is worth paying if he's locked into a role as the team's third guard.
2. Dalen Terry
Perhaps more than any unproven player on Chicago's roster, Dalen Terry showed the most potential last year. The 22-year-old is already unique as a 6-foot-7 prospect who can comfortably play either guard position or on the wing. His size, length and athleticism point to an unusually versatile defender.
Terry played in a career-high 73 games and averaged 13.5 minutes a night. He scored 11.9 points, grabbed 4.5 rebounds, dished out 3.5 assists and nabbed 1.6 steals per 36 minutes.
He needs more time on the floor, but he also needs to be more aggressive offensively. He averaged only 3.7 field goal attempts and 1.4 threes, but he shot a promising 35.6 percent from deep. That's well up from the 25.9 percent he shot from three during his rookie season and 23.0 percent he shot in 2023-24.
3. Julian Phillips
Phillips is in the same boat as Terry. He's intriguingly long and athletic and is the only player on Chicago's current roster with the potential to develop into the coveted 3-and-D wing archetype.
The 21-year-old is 6-foot-8, bouncy and has a "massive" 7-foot wingspan, according to his NBA draft profile from 2023. He's still plenty raw, but he flashed some consistent three-point shooting last preseason and hit 32.7 percent during the regular season, up from 31.6 in his rookie campaign.
He only appeared in 40 games and played 8.1 minutes per contest as an NBA freshman, so his 79 games, five starts and 14.2 minutes a night were a significant jump to make last year, given his age. More seasoning should help Phillips continue to flesh out his strengths and work on his weaknesses, but his physical gifts should still enable the Bulls to remain competitive when he's on the floor.
4. Matas Buzelis
This is the most obvious choice on the list. Buzelis has a chance to be one of Chicago's franchise cornerstones. He received some recognition on the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year ballot, and considering his lack of playing time early in the season, that says a lot about how well he played down the stretch.
Buzelis has the physical profile of an NBA star. He's 6-foot-10, uncommonly explosive for his size and can dribble, pass and shoot. He led the Bulls in blocks and still has plenty of room to grow on the defensive end as he gains more knowledge and experience. He barely cracked the 27 percent mark as a three-point shooter with the G League Ignite, but he hit 36.1 percent from deep as a rookie.
If he can threaten defenses from beyond the arc, his entire offensive repertoire will open up, and his aggression and competitiveness will only make him more of a force as he grows stronger and smarter. He should be in the starting lineup on day one next season.
