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By Anne Erickson
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The Bulls have a couple of intriguing young players ready to make a statement in 2026, but if there's one name that deserves a little extra love, it's Caleb Wilson. Obviously.
Chicago didn't use the No. 4 overall pick on the North Carolina forward just to bring him along slowly. Wilson has already looked like someone eager to speed up the timeline, and his Summer League performance only added to the excitement.
He was one of the biggest standouts in Las Vegas, earning All-Summer League First Team honors after averaging more than 23 points and seven rebounds per game. That's impressive on its own, but it was the way he did it that really caught people's attention. Wilson played with confidence and looked completely comfortable taking over stretches of games.
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Then came the shooting.
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One of the biggest questions surrounding Wilson before the draft was whether he could consistently knock down shots from the outside. He answered that in a hurry. His record-setting 35-point Summer League debut included seven made 3-pointers. It's amazing how quickly opinions change once the ball keeps going into the net.
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His game also seems tailor-made for what head coach Tiago Splitter wants to do. Wilson's speed is impossible to miss, and he looks right at home in an up-tempo offense that rewards players who can get out and run. He's at his best when the game opens up, using his athleticism to pressure defenses before they have a chance to get set.
Wilson already feels like the rookie who could change the franchise in a hurry.
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Summer League doesn't guarantee regular-season success. Everyone knows that. Still, Wilson showed enough to believe the talent is very real. If he carries that confidence into his first NBA season, the Chicago Bulls may have landed a player who becomes a centerpiece much sooner than anyone expected.
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