Overview
- The Bulls announced on Tuesday that they exercised the 2027/28 team options on Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue, formally guaranteeing each player’s salary for that season.
- Buzelis delivered a breakout year last season with strong all-around numbers and is viewed as a core young piece who will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension in the 2027 offseason; his 2027/28 option is roughly $7.58 million.
- Essengue missed most of his rookie year after left shoulder surgery and appeared in just two NBA games, but the team picked up his option to keep him as a low-risk developmental asset and to protect his trade or roster value; his guaranteed 2027/28 salary is about $5.97 million and the Bulls hold a 2028/29 option on him.
- The moves preserve financial and roster flexibility by delaying free agency timelines, protecting the Bulls from losing either player for nothing, and keeping open the possibility of a longer commitment to Buzelis or using Essengue in future transactions.
- The decisions reflect Chicago’s youth-first rebuild under new basketball leadership and coach Tiago Splitter, who has stressed effort and health as key evaluation factors and will monitor Buzelis’s growth and Essengue’s recovery and consistency next season.