Day four of the NBA combine in Chicago allowed teams to meet with prospects, and the Chicago Bulls, who hold the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA draft after Monday’s lottery, met with four players on Wednesday. 

After drafting Matas Buzelis, who fell to Chicago last year at No. 11, Buzelis showed promise for Chicago after the Zach Lavine trade. Buzelis, who played in each of Chicago’s 27 games in the second half of the season, started in all 27 games and averaged 13.0 points a game, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, shot 46% from the field, and 36% from 3-point. This, along with all-star caliber play from Coby White and Josh Giddey, secured the Bulls in the play-in tournament for the third consecutive year and, for the third straight year, have had their season end by the Miami Heat. 

Chicago will have to decide this offseason whether to pay restricted free agent Josh Giddey, free agent Tre Jones acquired in the three-team Lavine deal, along with Ayo Dosunmu and White, before they become free agents in the 2026 offseason. 

Chicago posted a 17-10 record, the 10th best in the NBA, after the All-Star break, and averaged 121.5 points per game, the most of any team in the second-half stretch. Chicago’s young core is slowly building, and adding a piece in this season’s draft could push this Bulls team to the edge of a top-six seed and out of the play-in. 

Buzelis might be the Bulls secret weapon when it comes down to evaluating and scouting the 2025 class. Many of the current prospects, like Johnson, said they have leaned on Buzelis for advice on what the NBA is like. Buzelis who has played with a number of these future NBA talents through AAU circuits and working out with them knows just how talented this incoming class can be.

Players Bulls met with

Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas and General Manager Marc Eversley had a busy day Wednesday, as they met with Texas guard Tre Johnson, Georgetown forward Thomas Sorber, Georgia F/C Asa Newell and South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles. 

Johnson, 19, capped off an impressive freshman season at Texas that showcased his ability to score on all levels, lead the Longhorns to an NCAA Tournament First Four appearance, and an SEC Freshman of the Year season. In 33 games played this past season, Johnson averaged 19.9 shots, 42% from the field, 39% from three, 87% from the free throw line, and had 1.8 turnovers a game. At 6-foot-6, Johnson played the prototypical shooting guard position, who can score but needs to work on play-making for others. With a high ceiling and only 19, Johnson doesn’t seem to be an option that will be available for Chicago at No. 12, not to mention the number of guards the Bulls have on the roster. 

Sorber, another one-and-done player for the Hoyas this past season, averaged 14.5 points per game with 8.5 rebounds. He shot 53% from the field and only 16% from 3-point range. A raw talent, at 6-foot-10 and only 19 years old, Sorber has the tools and intangibles to develop into an All-Star caliber player. He has a high basketball IQ who can pass and play off the pick-and-roll. With a strong frame, Sorber will lack immediate offensive production but has the skill set to develop a soft touch at the rim with an interior post-game. He has a shooting upside that should grow as his career goes on. With Chicago needing front-court help, Sorber could land in Chicago at No. 12 and be a presence in the pain for years to come.

Newell, yet another young prospect who got plenty of playing time in his lone collegiate season at Georgia, averaged 15.3 points per game on 6.8 rebounds, shot 54% from the field and 29% from 3-point. At 6-foot-11, Newell has shown the capabilities to be an explosive rim-protecting lob threat who can develop an overall game. He has good hands and can catch the ball and make tough catches. Newell is a player who could benefit from the NBA spacing and has the upside to shoot from the outside with a good stroke and develop a push shot around the rim. He has a Derek Lively-like player comparison at the rim, both offensively and defensively, and the potential to add to his offensive game. An excellent fit for Chicago if still on the board at No. 12 would provide rim protection, something the Bulls haven’t had since the days of Joakim Noah. 

Murray-Boyles, arguably the best defender in the draft, has every skill set to be an All-NBA defender. At 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, Murray-Boyles can guard one through five on the floor. He has a wingspan of over 7 feet, and with his frame, coordination and lateral quickness, Murray-Boyles will immediately be an impact defensive player. He averaged 16.8 points per game, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 blocks a game. He will swallow up the glass and grab rebounds, and from his freshman season averaging 10.0 points per game he made the jump in year two to 16 a game. Murray-Boyles also went from shooting zero percent from three to 26% and has shown the growth that can be made for a potential addition to his offensive game, potentially be a two-way player.  

K.C. Johnson asked Murray-Boyles if he had met with the Bulls and what his experience was like sitting down with Chicago’s front office.

“They’re cool, good team, good circle,” Murray Boyles said. “They were really intriguing and intrigued by me. I feel like I like their environment; they seem so connected, and it’s good to see a front office could be like that. It reassures me that whatever the front office is, the team is also going to follow in those types of environments, and I was really confident in that part.” 

UConn’s Liam McNeeley also said he will meet with the Bulls in the coming day, as the board will be open for Chicago at No. 12 to select a franchise changing player. With the NBA draft not for another six weeks, these won’t be the last meetings between the Chicago Bulls and the players from the 2025 class.