Leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls focused on upgrading a lackluster wing rotation. The need had been clear for some time, dating back to selecting rising star Matas Buzelis with the 11th overall pick in 2024.
Bulls have long prioritized wings
Nonetheless, Buzelis alone wasn’t enough to revamp a thin unit. Chicago needed more wings, one of the league’s most sought-after position groups. The Bulls reportedly entered the draft eyeing three prospects: Collin Murray-Boyles, Derik Queen, and Noa Essengue.
On draft day, projections held steady. There weren’t many surprises until the Brooklyn Nets nabbed BYU’s Egor Demin with the eighth overall pick, kicking off the draft’s volatility. One pick later, the Toronto Raptors swooped in for Murray-Boyles. With Essengue and Queen still available, Chicago ultimately selected the 18-year-old Frenchman with the 12th overall pick.
While Derik Queen is racing toward an All-Rookie First Team appearance, averaging 12.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists for the New Orleans Pelicans, he’s not the most ideal prospect for Chicago. Neither is Essengue, who has appeared in only two games for the Bulls this season. The true perfect fit is Murray-Boyles.
Collin Murray-Boyles is the perfect fit
Murray-Boyles doesn’t boast the counting stats that Queen does (7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists), and he might not even earn an All-Rookie team nod. But his elite defensive versatility is exactly what Chicago so desperately needs.
Moreover, Murray-Boyles isn’t even matching Queen in blocks or steals. The South Carolina product averages 0.7 blocks and 0.9 steals per game, compared with Queen’s 0.9 blocks and 1.0 steals. Yet Murray-Boyles shines in nearly every other defensive metric, and perhaps more importantly, he passes the eye test.
Murray-Boyles ranks second among all qualified rookies in defensive rating, at 108.0. Remove the rookie qualifier, and the 20-year-old ranks 31st out of 228 players who have appeared in at least 30 games this season. His defensive prowess also contributes to Toronto’s success, as the Raptors are 5.0 points per 100 possessions better defensively with Murray-Boyles on the floor, placing him in the 85th percentile.
About halfway through his rookie season, the Raptors have entrusted Murray-Boyles with a wide range of matchups. He’s spent more than five minutes defending perimeter-oriented wings like Jalen Johnson and Michael Porter Jr., while also matching up against dominant bigs such as Ivica Zubac and Joel Embiid—his two most common opponents this season.
But enough with the statistics. Doesn’t a 6-foot-7 wing with a 7-foot wingspan at 245 pounds sound like the perfect pairing for Chicago’s forward of the future, Matas Buzelis? It sure does. Buzelis has shown signs of becoming a promising defender, but at 6-foot-9 and roughly 200 pounds, he profiles more as a small forward who can guard power forwards in a pinch. He’s even better used as a weakside shot-blocker than anything.
What Chicago almost had
Murray-Boyles could have eased Buzelis’ defensive burden, essentially playing Isaac Okoro’s role in the Windy City, only a few inches taller and 20 pounds heavier. Corralling the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, or the aforementioned Johnson wouldn’t seem so daunting with Murray-Boyles in tow, would it?
The Raptors are already showcasing a formidable defensive duo, with Murray-Boyles and Scottie Barnes causing havoc for the Eastern Conference’s fourth-best team and the NBA’s fifth-best defense.
If you miss elite defense, then watch Scottie Barnes x Collin Murray-Boyles...
This duo is an absolute wrecking crew & will anchor top defenses for many years to come. Wingspan. Anticipation. On-ball. Off-ball. Turnovers. Roaming. Blitzing. Fun to watch. pic.twitter.com/yBPJuP0PmN
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) January 23, 2026
Buzelis isn’t Barnes, but it’s easy to imagine just how tantalizing a Murray-Boyles and Buzelis pairing would be. The two players complement each other perfectly. What the former Gamecock lacks in floor spacing and downhill attacking, Buzelis provides.
The Bulls can’t really kick themselves for missing Murray-Boyles—he went three picks earlier. Still, it’s painful to see what Chicago almost had. The Bulls were interested, but ultimately drafted Essengue after the 6-foot-7 forward was off the board. Now, Chicago will have to wait nearly a year for Essengue to contribute, while Murray-Boyles is already putting up 10.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in just his fourth professional month. Ouch.