In the swirling eddies of rookie surprises this NBA season, one towering figure has emerged with the elegance of a ballet dancer and the explosive impact of a human highlight reel: the Bulls’ very own Matas Buzelis. At the epicenter of Chicago’s transformation from the DeRozan-LaVine era into a new, electrifying chapter, Buzelis is catching the scrutiny of pundits and the flutter of collector’s impulses, one dynamic play at a time.
This 6’10” sensation had fans dropping jaws and opponents shaking heads in disbelief during last Saturday’s showdown against none other than the illustrious Los Angeles Lakers. While the game ended in a blowout victory for the Bulls, the high point of thrills came via a career-high 31 points from Buzelis. His fluid court movements, akin to a cheetah on the prowl, included darting past seasoned superstar Luka Doncic before concluding with a one-handed dunk, soaring into the stratosphere and the collective consciousness of every basketball aficionado packing the stands.
Selected at the 11th overall spot amidst a draft class saturated with questions and speculations, Buzelis wore his potential like a badge of honor. Sporting a game that often speaks louder than words, he’s slowly atoning the early skepticism with more than satisfactory answers. Since the All-Star break, this Eastern European rookie’s court time has burgeoned to an average of 25.8 minutes per game. His stats, though modest in numerical terms at 11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and just under a block, are the statistical underpainting of a player chiseling his mark.
And the collectors? Well, the collectors are practically clutching at the hem of his jersey. The hobby market is moving at warp speed to own a piece of Buzelis-mania. In an eyebrow-raising spate of 25 days in March alone, no less than 2,731 of Buzelis’ card transactions have been immortalized by Card Ladder. A noteworthy detail is displayed in the gravity-defying leap in card prices—previously unheard of transactions above $1,000 have transformed into a recurring spectacle post-Panini’s 2024-25 Prizm NBA release.
One card, the 2024 Prizm Draft Picks Black Prizm Auto 1/1, might have seemed a steal back in January for $700. By comparison, post-Prizm release sales have seen two stellar cards—The 2024-25 Panini Prizm Green Shimmer Rookie /5 and the Snakeskin Auto /15—go under the hammer for the princely sums of $2,150 and $2,194.69, respectively.
As statistics and play styles merge into narratives from the NBA Draft class tapestry, Buzelis’ rise is setting off ripple effects across discussions, comparisons, and debates. When weighed against his contemporaries, Buzelis is, surprisingly or not, holding his own against the supposed shroud of obscurity. Fellow draft elite, Zacharie Risacher, has notched just five four-figure card sales so far. Alexandre Sarr trails with one. Even Stephon Castle, often name-dropped as a favorite for Rookie of the Year, can boast of 16 similar sales. Enter Buzelis, amidst the hoopla: eighteen significant sales achieving over a thousand dollars—and the crescendo only seems to be climbing.
Perhaps what makes this alchemy of sports, celebrity, and collectibles so enthralling is the backdrop against which it is set. Chicago is rewriting its narrative, shrugging off the old script laden with DeRozan and LaVine associations. In the creation of a new melodrama, roles are being defined and spaces carved with precision by a cadre of emerging talents; Josh Giddey’s immaculate court vision and Coby White’s blistering pace provide the perfect theater for Buzelis’ burgeoning talent to sparkle.
Presently he leads the team with his frequency of dunks, each one more theatrical than the last, serving as message and metaphor. In a draft class often dismissed for its tepid expectations, Buzelis distinguishes himself, not just by talent, but by intention. His repertoire of size, skill, and an uncanny ability to inhabit any required role on court make him an incandescent comet streaking across the sporting firmament.
Yes, Buzelis is raw with a capital R. He’s experiencing the grandeur of the NBA through the lens of nascent poise, at a tender age of 20, scripting episodes of excellence that demand and earn attention. As he’s lifted by the impending winds of potential and legacy, fans and collectors linger on the precipice of anticipation, holding their breath—and their wallets—waiting for the next act. Every dunk, every score, every on-court ballet nudges his collectibility a notch higher. As his game continues to flourish, expect his cards—and his stardom—to continue soaring unrepentantly skyward.
