The Chicago Bulls made plenty of changes this offseason, from their front office to coaching staff to their roster.
Bryson Graham is the new executive vice president of basketball operations. He hired Tiago Splitter as head coach, acquired Nic Claxton from the Brooklyn Nets and signed Norman Powell in free agency.
The Bulls also have a strong, young core featuring Caleb Wilson, Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Dailyn Swain.
Josh Giddey on Matas Buzelis’ Offseason
Matas Buzelis was one of the most improved players in the NBA last season. Buzelis averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in 77 games.
The 21-year-old forward made a big leap in his second season and used this summer to further improve his game. He also played for Lithuania in the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking to DJ Siddiqi of RG.org, Josh Giddey had a lot of things to say about Buzelis. Giddey had nothing but praise for his younger teammate, and he’s looking forward to next season.
“He’s getting better over the offseason,” Giddey said. “He’s one of the harder working kids I’ve seen and lives in the gym, wants to get better. He’s obviously improved every year, and I think this year is going to be a big opportunity for him to step into a big role and take that next leap. I’ve spent time with him this summer.”
“He can guard up and down multiple positions,” the Australian guard added. “He can score. He can shoot and get out in transition. There’s a lot of things he can do.”
Giddey is coming off the best year of his career, looking like an All-Star before a hamstring issue slowed him down in late December. He averaged 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.0 steal per game.
Josh Giddey Update on Offseason Surgery
Back in May, the Chicago Bulls announced that Josh Giddey underwent surgery to repair a right ankle injury. Giddey was hampered by the injury in the second half of last season.
In a separate interview with DJ Siddiqi for Casino.org, Giddey opened up about his recovery and how he’s feeling heading into training camp later this month.
“It’s obviously a challenging time whenever you’re injured,” Giddey said. “To go through surgery, then have to rehab, can be tough. I was lucky enough I had great people around me who made the rehab process easy. Surgery went well, so (it was) a good time to do it. You’d rather do it in the offseason than during the season. I’m back to playing, back healthy. My ankle feels strong, and I’ve done a ton of work on it. I’m feeling good.”
It’s great news for the Bulls that they will have Giddey healthy in what could be a surprising and exciting campaign in Chicago.
Josh Giddey Makes Strong Matas Buzelis Statement Ahead of Training Camp