The Bulls have already started doing the one thing every young franchise cornerstone needs most: setting him up to succeed.
Caleb Wilson has stepped into Chicago as the centerpiece of the Bryson Graham era, and the early signs point to a team trying to make life easier for him from the jump. The Bulls are nowhere near title contention yet, and nobody is pretending otherwise. But if the goal is to eventually build the next great Bulls team, the work has clearly begun around Wilson.
That matters because Wilson is the best shot Chicago has at finding its next true superstar. He isn’t there yet - he hasn’t played in an NBA game, only Summer League, where he looked good in Las Vegas - but the Bulls clearly believe they drafted the right kind of player when they took him with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He was the first major selection of the Graham era, and Chicago is treating him like the foundation piece he’s supposed to become.
The roster construction around him already tells that story.
Norman Powell gives the Bulls a scorer who can shoulder enough of the offensive load to keep Wilson from having to force things too early. Nicolas Claxton brings the kind of interior defense that can support Wilson on that end of the floor, especially with Wilson expected to thrive defensively.
Josh Giddey adds the playmaking and creation that should help generate easier looks for the rookie right away. And Matas Buzelis is positioned as the long-term running mate - a shooter and shot creator who could grow alongside Wilson as part of Chicago’s future core.
For now, that’s the assignment for Graham and the Bulls: keep building the environment, keep stacking useful pieces, and give Wilson the best chance to become the player they think he can be.
So far, they’ve done that.
In Other News...
Bulls Rebuild Is Already Fueling A Frustrating Contract Debate
As the Bulls keep sorting through their rebuild, the front offices contract picture has become part of the bigger conversation around how quickly this roster can be reshaped. In a salary-cap league, every deal carries added weight, and Chicagos current evaluation has naturally turned toward which players are giving real value and which ones are tying up flexibility the team may want to use elsewhere.
Patrick Williams stands out on the expensive side of that ledger, with a sizable contract and limited playing time making his deal hard to overlook. On the other end, Tre Jones has emerged as one of the more appealing bargains on the roster, producing efficiently while earning far less than his impact might suggest, and that contrast says plenty about the kind of decisions Chicago will keep facing as the rebuild moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Should Watch Denver Closely After This Peyton Watson Trade
The ripple effects from Denvers reported multi-team deal could matter well beyond the Nuggets immediate roster shuffle. Peyton Watson is expected to head to Cleveland on a new four-year, $88 million contract, while the framework also sends Max Strus to the Clippers, draft picks back to Denver, and Tre Mann along with additional picks to Washington in the Cam Whitmore swap, with Julian Reese going from the Wizards to the Nuggets.
For teams watching the Western Conference market, the bigger question is what Denver does next after adding more draft capital and reshaping the books around a pricey new commitment. Any move at that level tends to trigger a second wave of roster maneuvering, and Chicago has reason to keep an eye on how aggressively the Nuggets respond as the rest of the transaction settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Matas Buzelis Sounds Ready For Any Spotlight The Bulls Throw At Him
Matas Buzelis is already talking like someone who expects to grow up with the Bulls, not just pass through them. The young forward said he wants to stay in Chicago for his whole career, and he also pointed to Kevin Durant as a source of confidence as he continues finding his footing in the league. For a player still early in his NBA story, that kind of mindset matters almost as much as the box score.
He also showed he is not backing away from the spotlight that comes with being outspoken. Buzelis revisited a March game against Luka Doncic, when a back-and-forth with the Dallas star helped turn the night into a showcase for Doncic, who erupted for 51 points. Even after that lesson, Buzelis made it clear he plans to keep testing Doncic the next time their paths cross, which should make their next matchup worth keeping an eye on. [Read more 🡒]