![\"Do](\"https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2712845-coby-white-matas-buzelis-bulls.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1\")
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Last night marked an emotional chapter for Coby White<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, who returned to Chicago for the first time since being traded exactly 21 days ago. For a franchise in transition and a fan base still processing a seven-trade, chaos-filled deadline week, White\u2019s return was more than a simple reunion \u2014 it was a symbolic turning of the page. The former longest-tenured Bull faced his old team inside the United Center, now wearing the colors of his hometown Charlotte Hornets<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, and as Chicago Sun-Times reporter Joe Cowley joked, things could have gone far worse for the ex-Tar Heel than landing back home in Charlotte.<\/p>\n But while emotions swirled around White\u2019s return, the Chicago Bulls had more pressing concerns: snapping a brutal nine-game losing streak and desperately hunting for their first win in February. Despite that urgency \u2014 and despite a spectacular 32-point breakout night from rookie Matas Buzelis<\/span><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 the Bulls once again fell short, dropping to 0\u201310 on the month in a loss defined not by the final score, but by what it revealed about Chicago\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n The deeper meaning behind this game went far beyond the scoreboard. In fact, it may prove to be a best-case scenario<\/em> for a franchise that has finally embraced a full rebuild after years of mediocrity.<\/p>\n This game will be replayed and referenced repeatedly as the night Matas Buzelis arrived<\/strong>. The highly anticipated rookie posted a career-best 32 points on 13-of-19 shooting, including 6-of-11 from deep \u2014 the kind of performance that franchises build around.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t just the scoring. This was the second time Buzelis has crossed the 30-point mark, and both games share the same pattern: extremely high efficiency, strong perimeter shooting, and undeniable confidence. It marked his 21st career game scoring 20+<\/strong>, with 16 of those performances coming this season alone.<\/p>\n The Bulls\u2019 top priority for the remainder of the year is crystal clear: This franchise already knows exactly what they have in Josh Giddey<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, a near triple-double player when fully healthy. They have glimpses from Tre Jones and Zach Collins<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, both of whom have shown flashes as long-term pieces. But Buzelis? He is the true variable \u2014 the unknown ceiling-raiser who could shape whether the Bulls return to championship contention in the next several years.<\/p>\n And for perhaps the first time all season, Chicago treated him like that<\/em> guy. This \u2014 not wins \u2014 is what the Bulls must prioritize. If Chicago fans wanted clarity about the franchise\u2019s direction, they received it in full this month. After a decade of being stuck in NBA purgatory \u2014 not good enough to contend, not bad enough to draft elite talent \u2014 executive Art\u016bras Karni\u0161ovas finally did the unthinkable:<\/p>\n He tore it all down.<\/p>\n The return packages may have disappointed some fans, especially compared to what Chicago could\u2019ve received had they moved their stars years earlier at peak value. But that no longer matters. The reset button has been pushed \u2014 decisively and unapologetically.<\/p>\n The result? The Bulls have lost 13 of their last 14. And yet, in the logic of a rebuild, this is progress.<\/p>\n According to Tankathon projections, Chicago now has a 20.3% chance at a top-four pick<\/strong> in the 2026 NBA Draft, a position that could dramatically shape their future if paired with the development of Buzelis and an upcoming offseason loaded with cap space and draft capital.<\/p>\n This is what Bulls fans have begged for over the last decade. The tank is not subtle. Amid all the chaos, White\u2019s return served as a symbolic reminder of how dramatically the Bulls have changed in just three weeks. Once the longest-tenured Bull, he represented an era of half-measures, soft resets, and hopeful mediocrity.<\/p>\n Now? Chicago has fully pivoted into a new era \u2014 one defined by youth, long-term planning, and the willingness to lose games today for meaningful wins tomorrow.<\/p>\n White\u2019s journey has already begun with the Hornets. The final 23 games of the season will not be about wins. They will<\/em> be about three pillars:<\/p>\n Give him reps as a scorer, creator, and late-game option.<\/p>\n The lower Chicago goes, the better the odds of securing a transformative draft pick.<\/p>\n With cap space, draft picks, and a clean developmental slate, the Bulls can finally begin shaping a roster with a real ceiling.<\/p>\n And if all goes right?<\/p>\n Chicago could enter 2026\u201327 with:<\/p>\n A top-ten draft pick<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A rapidly developing Buzelis<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Giddey as a high-IQ anchor<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Significant cap space<\/p>\n<\/li>\n And a clearer blueprint than they\u2019ve had in a decade<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Bulls aren\u2019t just rebuilding. Coby White\u2019s Return to Chicago Highlighted a Bigger Story \u2014 One That Perfectly Served the Bulls\u2019 Long-Term Blueprint Last night marked an emotional chapter for Coby White,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":157030,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-157026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nLet Matas Buzelis Cook \u2014 And Don\u2019t Look Back<\/strong><\/h2>\n
It was the freedom.
It was the opportunity.
It was the Bulls finally stepping out of their own way and giving Buzelis the runway he deserves.<\/p>\n
Develop Matas Buzelis.
Feature him.
Test him.
Let him fail.
Let him shine.
Let him learn.<\/strong><\/p>\n
He played 33 minutes.
He attempted 19 shots.
He operated with genuine on-ball responsibility and zero expectations of winning.<\/p>\n
This is the blueprint.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\nThe Rebuild Has Begun \u2014 and Losses Are Fuel, Not Failure<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Chicago is sliding toward the bottom of the standings exactly as intended<\/em>.<\/p>\n
They are 0\u201310 in February.
They were 23\u201322 a month ago;
now they sit at 24\u201335.<\/p>\n
A plan.
A direction.
A chance at real upside \u2014 not treadmill seasons.<\/p>\n
The tank is not accidental.
The tank is a feature<\/em>, not a bug.<\/p>\n
\nWhy Coby White\u2019s Return Was the Perfect Backdrop<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Chicago\u2019s journey has just restarted.<\/p>\n
\nWhere the Bulls Go From Here<\/strong><\/h2>\n
They may not even be about competitiveness.<\/p>\n1. Let Buzelis experiment freely on offense.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Continue sliding down the standings.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Prepare for an offseason of flexibility.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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They\u2019re finally building correctly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"