The Chicago Bulls’ offseason has been centered around guard Josh Giddey and his restricted free agency with the franchise. Despite putting up All-Star numbers during the second half of the season, the Bulls remain in negotations with Giddey as the two sides are reportedly $10 million apart in their desired annual range for a deal.<\/p>\n
If the Bulls are able to bring Giddey back, it gives Chicago a promising young core to look forward to for seasons to come. Not only do they have a strong foundation in the backcourt with Giddey and Coby White, but they have two promising wings to pair with them. With second-year forward Matas Buzelis and rookie Noa Essengue, they could pair together to create an ideal modern forward duo.<\/p>\n
Noa Essengue with the one-leg fade \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8 pic.twitter.com\/RzMNdfQEaA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n In terms of their potential, NBA analyst Trey Kerby is so high on them in fact, that he thinks the Bulls potentially have a pair of superstar wings on their roster, going as far as comparing them to Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.<\/p>\n Appearing alongside Yahoo Sports analyst Kevin O’Connor<\/a>, Kerby had some strong praise for the Bulls’ forward duo.<\/p>\n \u201cSo when I\u2019m feeling my most optimistic, I like to think that the Bulls have the next two Giannis\u2019. They\u2019ve got the next American Giannis in Matas Buzelis, and then the French Giannis in Noa Essengue,” Kerby said.<\/p>\n Kerby didn’t just leave it there, adding some justification of his own behind it.<\/p>\n \u201cGiannis wasn\u2019t an All-Star as a rookie, nor was he as a second-year player, but once he put on some muscle, once he got some reps, handled the ball during the Jason Kidd era, he really popped. So yeah, I would love to see that from Buzelis this year,” he added.<\/p>\n Have said it time and time again, but Matas Buzelis will go down as the best player of his draft class pic.twitter.com\/TLBNLhQTKz<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/JsNggwIcqG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) August 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Looking at Buzelis first, who finished his rookie season with the Bulls earning All-Rookie Second Team honors, his numbers are comparable to those of Antetokounmpo’s rookie season. Buzelis finished with averages of 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field. On the other hand, Antetokounmpo averaged 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 41.4% shooting.<\/p>\n However, Buzelis shone during his 31 starts last season<\/a>, boosting those averages to 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. There are some similarities in what they can bring to the table, but Buzelis has the edge as a shooter, while Giannis has the edge as a defender.<\/p>\n As for Essengue, NBA fans haven’t seen much of him, but he did have two promising performances at Summer League, which could indicate what’s to come. He’ll likely take a while to prove himself before he gets a chance to become a starter, but if he can produce similarly to Buzelis, it’s a promising sign for Chicago’s future.<\/p>\n Bulls Star Nikola Vucevic Opens Up About Uncertain Future With Team<\/a><\/p>\n Nikola Vucevic Tried To Convince Bulls Teammate to Play In EuroBasket<\/a><\/p>\n NBA Experts Predict Bulls’ 2025-26 Record Amid Josh Giddey Uncertainty<\/a><\/p>\n