Bulls Roster Shows Off Upside in Summer League Win

On Monday night, the Chicago Bulls’ Summer League roster got its first win, downing the Indiana Pacers, 114-105.

It was their first win in Las Vegas, and a great one considering the experience of the Pacers’ squad.

The Bulls stand on the opposite side of experience, having drafted two upside swings in the last two years, first grabbing former G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis, before drafting Noa Essengue at No. 12 this year. And both were spectacular against Indiana.

Buzelis saw a decent rookie season, adding some immediate impact for the Eastern Conference squad, but mostly showing future upside. Across 80 games in his rookie season, he averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists, shooting 45% overall and 46% from three.

Against the Pacers Monday, Buzelis looked exactly as he should’ve: a second-year player. In 32 minutes he added a team-high 28 points on 8-for-14 shooting, hitting on two of his four 3-pointers. He got to the line frequently, coming away with 10 points on 13 tries.

To this point, Buzelis is likely the focal point of the Bulls’ youth movement, having been drafted well below where he should’ve last year. He has a ways to go in becoming a star, but the bones are there for a lengthy, two-way scorer.

The Bulls then turned around in 2025 and drafted something similar in lengthy forward Noa Essengue. At 6-foot-10, he’s extremely raw, but produced well in a pro league at just 18, pointing to great two-way upside on the wing.

Essengue was similarly great against Indiana, going for 21 points on 50% shooting, hitting three triples in eight tries. Even better, he added three rebounds and a dime.

There’s no real guarantee he’s able to thrive out the gate, but his potential on the wing is undeniable. And he’s already looking ahead of schedule with Monday’s performance.

The Bulls are back in action against the Bucks at 4:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, July 16.