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Chicago Bulls have young star who can replace Lonzo Ball, his Summer League 40-point outing is proof

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Chicago Bulls might have found their long-term replacement for Lonzo Ball, who just had a standout performance at the NBA Summer League.

The Chicago Bulls are trying to find their way back to being a competitive team after years of struggling to do so.

They came really close during the 2021-22 NBA season, when they made some big signings like Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball, and DeMar DeRozan.

Until they were struck by injuries, the Bulls were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference that season, even sitting at the top of the standings at one point.

But long-term injuries to Lonzo Ball seemingly derailed those plans, as the Bulls eventually blew things up. A few weeks ago, the Bulls finally traded Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There have been some questions about who the Bulls can get to replace Ball’s impact. But as it turns out, they may have already secured this player in February of this year.

Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images

Jahmir Young drops 40-point masterclass at NBA Summer League

On February 19th, the Chicago Bulls signed former Denver Nuggets and G-League standout Jahmir Young to a two-way deal.

While Young didn’t feature much for them during the season, he did have a great season with the Grand Rapids Gold and then the Windy City Bulls, the G-League teams of the Nuggets and Bulls.

He finished the season by earning NBA G-League All-Rookie First Team honors. And now at the NBA Summer League, Young has finally found his footing.

After his first three games ended with him putting up less-than-stellar scoring numbers, Young scored 40 points against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Young was lethal from the field and especially from deep, going 7-8 from beyond the arc. This was a marked improvement from his first three games in the Summer League, where he went 1-6 from range.

If Young’s performance against the Bucks was an indicator of his development, he could be a reliable rotation guard for the Bulls.

JAHMIR YOUNG DOMINATES.

40-PIECE AND A @chicagobulls W pic.twitter.com/NLAwSP55ok
— NBA (@NBA) July 17, 2025

The Chicago Bulls need young stars to step up during this rebuild

Jahmir could be next up for the Bulls, as the franchise once again looks to its crop of young talent to help improve its stock as the years go on.

The Bulls also signed Yuki Kawamura, the former Grizzlies star, to a Summer League contract. The Japanese standout has gotten some opportunities with the team in Las Vegas.

Kawamura’s solid performances have Bulls fans demanding he sign with the team for the NBA season. However, he might get left out to dry despite his decent outings.

The Bulls are currently focused on building around Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. And adding more guards to their rotation when they already have Young and Coby White might not work for them.

But the Bulls are clearly going young, in the hopes that this rebuild will turn out well. After almost three decades of trying, the Bulls are yet to come close to competing for an NBA championship.

The Bulls haven’t been able to escape Michael Jordan and his dynasty’s shadow. But if they want to get out of that shadow, they need to be patient.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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