The Chicago Bulls may have landed one of the biggest steals of the 2026 NBA Draft.
After being selected fourth overall out of North Carolina, Caleb Wilson has wasted no time proving he belongs. He recorded a Las Vegas Summer League debut record of 35 points against the Memphis Grizzlies, shooting 12-21 from the field and 7-11 from three-point range while adding five rebounds, two steals, and three blocks.
After the game, Wilson admitted that he cried before the game, as he was itching to get back on the basketball court.
“Honestly, I cried before I played today. It’s been five months to the day since the last time I played. I’ve just been emotional because I haven’t been able to play,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s love of the game was also brought up after a few of the other top picks in the draft sat out some games. This is something Wilson doesn’t plan on doing.
“I feel like I’m different than all of them,” Wilson said. “Not to say they don’t, but I enjoy basketball. I love this sh*t… I felt yesterday was weird because I expected Darryn to play. So when I came into the game, I didn’t have the right mindset.”
Chicago fell 97-96 to Memphis, but that didn’t stop fans from speaking highly of Wilson. In his second game, Wilson showcased his all-around game against the Utah Jazz. He scored 19 points on 8-17 shooting, while adding eight rebounds, five blocks, two steals, and two assists.
Despite his impressive outing, the Bulls fell 80-63 to the Jazz. Finally, Wilson would lead the Bulls to a victory in his third game. Wilson dropped a stat line of 19 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a block, while shooting 7-15 from the field, as Chicago defeated the Washington Wizards 99-87.
After the game, Wilson was asked why he played, since it was the second game of a back-to-back. Once again, Wilson demonstrated his drive and passion for the game.
“I just asked (Bryson Graham) if I could play. I didn’t want to finish like I finished last night,” Wilson explained. “I wanted to win a game before I stopped… I’m just trying to learn as much as I can.”
Wilson’s impressive offensive game isn’t by accident. The Bulls rookie has spoken about taking nearly 2,500 shots per day. This is certainly the type of work ethic that can set him apart from the other rookies.
Early Days To Reaching For Glory
Long before becoming the talk of the Summer League, Wilson nearly took a different path. He once revealed that baseball was his favorite sport during his childhood. Luckily for Bulls fans, he chose basketball.
Wilson would attend the University of North Carolina, where he dominated. In 24 games, the young guard averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
Unfortunately, Wilson’s season would end prematurely as he suffered a fractured left hand on February 10, 2026. Still, his play earned him Consensus Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-ACC, and ACC All-Rookie honors.
Now Wilson is a Chicago Bull, and it’s predicted that their starting lineup for the 2026-27 season will be Wilson, Josh Giddey, Dailyn Swain, Matas Buzelis, and Nic Claxton. The young Bulls could surprise many people next season.
As for Wilson himself, he has very high goals. He wants to overcome another Bull, Michael Jordan, and become the greatest player of all time.
If these performances are any indication, the Bulls may have found a franchise cornerstone capable of leading the next era of basketball in the Windy City.
