Chicago native Matas Buzelis declares for 2024 NBA Draft originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Chicago native and star of the G-League’s Ignite, Matas Buzlelis, is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, he confirmed on X (formerly Twitter). Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to break the news.
Buzelis, 19, was born and raised in Chicago. His parents are Lithuanian-born and former professional basketball players; his father in the Lithuanian Basketball League. Initially a strong swimmer, he shifted his focus to basketball after playing a Covid-shortened season at Hinsdale Central High School in the Chicago suburbs.
He transferred to two different boarding schools before graduating. At the end of high school, Buzelis won the Gatorade Player of the Year award, McDonald’s All-American, and was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic and the Nike Hoops Summit. From there, he decided to play for the G-League team Ignite, opting not to play in college, before the 2024 NBA Draft.
In 26 games for the Ignite this season, Buzelis is averaging 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He is shooting 44.5% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc. Buzelis is also recording 2.1 blocks and 0.9 steals per game, expanding his versatility on the defensive side of the court as well.
The latest from ESPN 2024 NBA Mock Draft by Jonathan Givony projects Buzelis to be the sixth pick in the draft. Buzelis is undoubtedly one of the main talents in the next draft. Givony says Buzelis offers “the kind of projectable size and skill mix that teams always deliberate on.”
MORE: Top NBA Draft prospect Chicago native Matas Buzelis reacts to potentially being drafted by the Bulls
As it stands, the Bulls have the 11th-best odds in the NBA Draft. How would Buzelis feel about playing for his hometown?
“I’d feel good about that. Hometown hero!” Buzelis said. “It would be fun to play for Chicago. Just watching them when I was younger, watching Derrick Rose play. It would be an amazing experience. … We went to games often when the Grizzlies played them because one of my dad’s clients, with who he works for, they play for the Grizzlies. We would go whenever they played the Grizzlies.
What would the Bulls, or any team, get in Buzelis?
“I would say they are getting a versatile player who will work every day, even on the bad days,” Buzelis said. “They’re going to get a person who, whatever the coach tells him to do, he’s going to do it.”
To read/watch Buezlis’ full interview with NBC Sports Chicago, check out here.
