Only these Bulls should survive the chaos of a(nother) summer roster reset

VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas and the Chicago Bulls' front office have taken their fair share of heat from fans and NBA pundits. It cannot be ignored, though, that the organization has made several moves to transform an aging roster into one of the youngest in the NBA.

Alex Caruso was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder for 22-year-old point guard Josh Giddey. DeMar DeRozan was sent to the Sacramento Kings last offseason in a sign-and-trade that netted the Bulls guard Chris Duarte, who's since been waived, and a pair of second-round picks.

Zach LaVine was finally moved at this year's trade deadline, and although Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Tre Jones don't fit the young age demographic, they'll open up about $50 million of cap space when their contracts expire—and Chicago got its first-round pick back, which will be a lottery selection in this summer's draft.

Seven of the team's top nine scorers in 2024-25 were 26 or younger. The other two were LaVine and 34-year-old Nikola Vucevic.

But there's still plenty more for Karnisovas and Co. to do before next season to retool the roster even further, skewing it younger, creating more cap room and acquiring more draft assets.

Only these 6 Bulls should survive another offseason of roster reconstruction

No player should be completely off the table; if other teams call, Chicago should listen. There's no sure-fire superstar or solidified franchise player on the roster as it stands. But these six are as close as it gets to untouchable.

1. Matas Buzelis

A 20-year-old lottery pick who led the team in blocks and started the final 31 games of his debut NBA campaign while averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals with 47/35/81 shooting splits during that stretch isn't going anywhere.

Buzelis is a versatile 6-foot-10 athlete who can comfortably play either forward spot or soak up minutes at the five in certain lineups. He's quick to get to the rim and is an explosive finisher. He proved throughout the year that he's not afraid, whether of opposing players or situations.

Barring injury, Buzelis should be a guaranteed starter on day one next year.

2. Coby White

It was touch and go for a few weeks, but once he settled in and adjusted to the role, Coby White became Chicago's go-to option offensively after LaVine was dealt to Sacramento.

He ended the season as the Bulls' leading scorer. He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice during March on the way to winning the Player of the Month Award. He averaged 27.7 points through 15 games.

The 25-year-old scored 20 or more points in 15 consecutive games between Feb. 28 and March 29 with a high of 44 in a two-point win over the Orlando Magic.

White will be entrenched as a member of the starting lineup along with Buzelis next season.

3. Josh Giddey

Giddey comes with the caveat of being a restricted free agent, so there's a chance he could be wearing a different jersey next season should another franchise come to the table with a massive contract offer the Bulls won't match. That scenario is wildly unlikely.

Giddey averaged 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists in 19 games after the All-Star break. The 22-year-old floor general shot 45.7 percent from three during that stretch and 37.8 percent from deep for the season. That surpassed his career high of 33.7 percent, which he reached during the 2023-24 campaign.

He still has his flaws, namely his awful point-of-attack defending, but the improvements Giddey made, considering his age and the impact he had last year, will almost certainly lead to a new, lucrative contract and a guaranteed spot in Billy Donovan's starting five alongside White and Buzelis.

4. Ayo Dosunmu

The 25-year-old Dosunmu was in the middle of a breakout offensive season before his year ended early due to a shoulder injury. Always known for his defense and toughness, the Illinois product averaged career highs in points per game (12.3), rebounds per game (3.5) and assists per game (4.5) in 2024-25.

The Bulls only have Dosunmu under contract for next season, after which he becomes an unrestricted free agent. That makes his status on this year's team even more important. Assuming he has another strong season in '25-26, he'll be in line for a pricey new deal at the same time as White and a year after Giddey's likely extension.

5. Dalen Terry

Terry played in a career high 73 games this season under Donovan and averaged a career high 13.5 minutes per. He averaged only 3.7 attempts from the field and 1.4 from behind the arc but increased his shooting percentages from both levels.

His averages of 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists won't jump off the page, but his size (6-foot-7), wingspan (7-1), age (22) and ability to play either guard spot or on the wing make him a prospect worth continuing to develop.

6. Julian Phillips

Phillips is in the same boat as Terry, as a low-usage player with plenty of alluring physical traits. The 21-year-old is a long, rangy, explosive athlete who saw the court far more last year than he did as a rookie.

In 14.2 minutes across 79 games, Phillips averaged 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds. Like Terry, he didn't shoot a lot, but when he did, he was more efficient than the season prior.

The Tennessee product is listed at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan and is the only true 3-and-D prospect on the Bulls roster. Like Terry, it's worth keeping a toolsy player like Phillips around for now.