Day: May 31, 2023

Matas Buzelis, the projected first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has signed with G League Ignite for next season. Buzelis is a Chicago native who holds United States and Lithuanian citizenship.

This season, Buzelis played at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, after transferring from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He won the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year award for 2023, after winning the same award for New Hampshire the year prior.

The 18-year-old forward has measured in at 6-foot-10. Buzelis will look to follow the same path that led Jalen Green to being a high pick after playing with the Ignite. Scoot Henderson is a projected top-three pick in the 2023 draft, after he played two season for the Ignite.

Nikola Vucevic and the Chicago Bulls have opened discussions on a contract extension.

Vucevic will become an unrestricted free agent if an extension isn’t agreed upon by June 30th.

The Bulls can offer an extension worth up to approximately $118 million over four seasons.

Chicago traded for Vucevic in 2021 when they sent Wendell Carter Jr., the first round pick that became Franz Wagner and the 11th overall pick this year.

New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas knows this past season didn’t go the way he or the team wanted. But Valanciunas is still high on his team and would like to remain in New Orleans.

“I would like to stay and extend my contract,” Valanciunas said. “Obviously, during the season, you try to help the team as much as possible, but when the summer comes, you try to take care of your own things – how to extend the contract and stuff.”

The veteran center also said he expects there to be changes, after the Pelicans disappointing season.

“We had some talks with them. I think this summer won’t be easy for them, because they will have to make a few key decisions. Our season didn’t go as planned, so there will definitely be changes,” Valanciunas said.