The first Summer League game for the Chicago Bulls’ newest young pieces already comes with a little extra shine.
Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Dailyn Swain, selected 15th, are set to make their Chicago debuts tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies. For a Bulls team trying to build something sturdier under new lead executive Bryson Graham, this is the kind of night that points straight at the future.
Chicago’s offseason has changed the mood around the organization. The Bulls are no longer acting like a team comfortable sitting in the middle. With the addition of Norman Powell and Nic Claxton, they’ve given themselves a better chance to stay out of the basement, while any real progress from Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis would only add to the optimism.
Still, the biggest buzz belongs to Wilson and Swain, especially Wilson, whose long-term upside is already easy to see. He still has a lot to clean up as an offensive player, but his wingspan and athleticism give him the kind of two-way ceiling teams dream about. If Chicago’s developmental staff can sharpen those tools, he has a path to becoming a real star.
The matchup that should have everyone watching, though, is Wilson against Memphis forward Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 pick. Boozer is the more polished prospect right now, and he fits neatly into what the Grizzlies are trying to build. He can score inside, stretch the floor and push the pace in transition, which gives Memphis an immediate lift.
The comparison invites the kind of draft-class storyline that can linger for years. AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson already grabbed the biggest spotlight as the top two picks, but Boozer and Wilson have the ingredients to create their own rivalry, especially with the North Carolina and Duke ties in the mix.
That said, Summer League always comes with a warning label. One game won’t tell the full story, even if both players look sharp. But this is still the first real stage where their careers start to separate from the rest of the class.
Dybantsa and Peterson may end up owning the loudest headlines, but Wilson and Boozer fit the mold every modern front office wants: big, versatile players with serious two-way upside. Even if neither one takes over the night, this is a matchup worth tuning in for.
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Bulls Just Got Their First Real Read On Tiago Splitters Tone
Tiago Splitter has only just started steering the Bulls Summer League group, but the early tone is already clear. With the first few practices and games serving as his introduction, Chicagos new voice has leaned into a tough-minded approach built around rebounding and defensive effort, the kind of baseline identity teams often talk about before they actually have to live it.
For a pair of rookies trying to make their first impression, Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain have already gotten a read on how Splitter wants things done. Both have pointed to his seriousness and his focus on winning and development, the sort of coaching style that can feel demanding at first but also gives young players a direct sense of where they stand as the Bulls begin shaping a culture around him. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Fans Will Have One Big Reaction To This Blockbuster Return
A sprawling four-team trade that had been taking shape around the league is now official, with the Timberwolves, Hornets, Nets and Bulls all moving pieces in one transaction for salary-matching purposes. Minnesota landed LaMelo Ball, Josh Green and the draft rights to Isaiah Evans, Charlotte added Naz Reid, Mouhamadou Gueye, the draft rights to Matteo Spagnolo, multiple future draft picks and pick swap rights, and Brooklyn brought in Julius Randle along with the draft rights to Joshua Jefferson.
For Chicago, the deal also brings a major new frontcourt piece into the fold, and it gives the Bulls a clear reason to pay close attention to how the rest of the roster is shaped around him. Nets general manager Sean Marks said parting with Nic Claxton was not easy and praised his seven seasons with Brooklyn, a reminder that this was not just another line on a transaction sheet but a move with real weight on multiple sides. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Finally Look Coherent But One Roster Question Still Looms
After a busy summer of roster reshaping, the Bulls at least look like a team with a plan. The additions of Caleb Wilson, Dailyn Swain, Nic Claxton and Norman Powell have given Chicago a much clearer identity on paper, and the early position-by-position projection points to a lineup built around size, length and two-way versatility under executive vice president Bryson Graham.
The bigger question now is how all of those pieces fit once the rotation tightens. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis are expected to be central to the next phase, while Jalen Smith and the new arrivals give the front office more options than it had a year ago. Chicago has spent the offseason chasing a more coherent blend of athletes who can defend and switch, but the real test will come when the Bulls have to decide which of those promising pieces can actually stay on the floor when games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]