Team context: Chicago Bulls · Research cutoff: July 18, 2026.
Role and baseline
Chicago signed Awaka to a two-way contract on July 3. He played 39 games for Arizona in 2025-26, averaging 20.8 minutes and roughly nine points and nine rebounds while shooting 58.7% from the field; he was the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year. G League announcement · Arizona statistics · College Basketball Reference
He added 14 points and ten rebounds, including six offensive boards, in Chicago's July 14 Summer League win. Bulls recap, July 15, 2026
Conditional 2026-27 projection
| Base team Min | Conditional GP/MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 18/8 | .560 | .640 | 0.0 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Any NBA minutes replace center/forward minutes in the 240-minute team model.
Fantasy fit
- Redraft/points: no draft value; emergency rebounds streamer in the deepest leagues.
- Dynasty: two-way watch list rather than roster priority.
- Strengths: offensive rebounds, physicality, FG%.
- Weaknesses: FT%, shooting range, assists, and path through four established centers/forwards.
Range and triggers
- Floor: spends the season with Windy City.
- Ceiling: earns a standard contract and 12 minutes as an energy big after injuries.
- Watch: G League rebound rate, free throws, and whether he can defend NBA centers at 6-foot-8.
Career record
Pre-NBA: Four college seasons. Tennessee 2022-23 (3.2 PPG/3.8 RPG) and 2023-24 (5.1 PPG/4.6 RPG, 69 games across the two years, bench big); transferred to Arizona for 2024-25 (37 GP, 36 starts, 8.0 PPG/7.8 RPG, .646 FG) and 2025-26 (39 GP, 20.8 MPG, 9.3 PPG/9.1 RPG, .587 FG, Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year). Draft: undrafted (2026).
No NBA record. Most recent season: 2025-26 at Arizona (39 GP, 9.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG); signed a two-way with Chicago on July 3, 2026.
Durability: No known injury history of note — played 37 and 39 games in his two Arizona seasons.
Trajectory: The record is remarkably consistent: elite per-minute rebounding (9+ boards in ~21 minutes as a senior), high-percentage finishing, and essentially no perimeter game in four college seasons. In 2026-27 he competes for the two-way big rotation behind Chicago's four established centers/forwards, with most of his year likely in Windy City. He becomes fantasy-relevant only if multiple Bulls frontcourt injuries hand him 15+ NBA minutes, at which point he is a FG%/rebounds-only deep-league stream.
Career sources: Wikipedia · Sports-Reference college page · Arizona Athletics profile · ESPN player page
Open questions
- Can rebounding alone carry an NBA role?
- Does he add a credible corner three?
- Which frontcourt injuries would place him ahead of the other depth options?