The Eastern Conference projects to be wide open after a trio of devastating leg injuries to superstar players, and the disarray could provide an opportunity for the Chicago Bulls to make a significant leap next season.

Cleveland and New York return nearly their entire rosters atop the East, but the rest of the conference is full of question marks. The Celtics (Jayson Tatum), Pacers (Tyrese Haliburton) and Bucks (Damian Lillard, now a Portland Trail Blazer) will all be without players who starred for them a season ago, while young teams like the Pistons and Magic are unproven despite showing potential. The Hawks and Heat have made postseason runs in recent years, but the jury is still out on what they'll do in 2025-26.

Enter... the Bulls? Even though Chicago went just 39-43 last season and has lost in the play-in in three consecutive years, the unit is poised for a prime opportunity to take advantage of the weak Eastern Conference. Here are three players that are pivotal to Chicago's success as the Bulls look to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2022:

Coby White, Guard

White truly broke onto the scene in 2023-24, more than doubling his scoring average from the year prior by going from a bench contributor to a full-time starter. The 6-foot-5 combo guard posted a career-best 20.4 points per game and 45.3% shooting last season, hitting the three at a solid 37% clip as well. What remains to be seen, though, is whether White is capable of leading a playoff team or a merely product of stat accumulation on mediocre Bulls teams.

The former first-round pick turns 26 years old in February and is eligible for a contract extension. White is set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026, and if Josh Giddey plays this season on the one-year qualifying offer, Chicago could be left with a tough financial decision next summer. The Bulls will likely be looking to determine whether the White-Giddey pairing is the team's backcourt of the future before shelling out a large contract to either. If White makes another leap, he could land himself a big payday and bring Chicago back to the postseason.

Nikola Vucevic, Center

Entering his 15th season in the NBA, Vucevic has certainly put up good statistics between the Bulls and Orlando Magic. Chicago acquired the Montenegrin big man in a mid-season trade in 2021, and the move appeared to pay dividends when the Vucevic-DeMar DeRozan-Zach Lavine trio led the Bulls to the No. 6 seed in 2022. However, the three combined for just one playoff win in their lone trip to the postseason, and DeRozan and Lavine are now playing for the Sacramento Kings.

Vucevic was still a productive player in his age-34 season, averaging 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game on 53% shooting and 40.2% from deep. His play hasn't led to wins, though, and going into a critical year for Chicago, Vucevic needs to prove he's capable of more than empty stats.

Matas Buzelis, Forward

Buzelis, who turns 21 years old on October 13, is the Bulls' best young asset. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft showed flashes in his first professional season, landing on the All-Rookie Second Team with averages of 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and nearly one block per game. Buzelis improved greatly as the season went on and made 27 of his 31 starts after the All-Star break.

At 6-foot-10 and 209 pounds, Buzelis' slender frame suggests a variety of possible outcomes. His sophomore season will be massive for the Bulls to determine whether they view him more as a large wing or a forward who needs to hit the gym, and the speed of Buzelis' development could be integral for Chicago to take advantage of its opportunity in the Eastern Conference.

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