Caleb Wilson did not need much time to announce himself to the Bulls.
In just his second NBA game, the No. 4 overall pick showed the kind of poise Chicago can lean on late in games. With 6:21 left in the Bulls’ second contest of the season, Tiago Splitter stuck with his rookie and kept the second unit on the floor as Chicago chased down a 15-point hole. The only change was replacing second-year forward Noa Essengue with Wilson.
That gamble paid off. The Bulls finished off their first win of 2026-27, and Wilson played a central role in the closing stretch.
Tied at 123-123 with 1:16 remaining, he stayed composed, drew a foul on Kasparas Jakucionis and knocked down both free throws. Tre Jones then stole the ball back with less than a minute to play, and Wilson was the one sent to the line again.
He converted two more free throws to push Chicago ahead 126-123. Tyler Herro had a chance to force a tie with a three from the top of the key, but Wilson grabbed the rebound. After Norman Powell went to the stripe on the next possession, Wilson finished off his strong second half by jumping a passing lane and coming up with a steal with 15 seconds left.
The opponent was a Milwaukee Bucks team that is also rebuilding, and that matters. But it does not erase what Wilson did when the pressure was on. This was only his second official NBA game, and the way he handled the final minutes said plenty about his confidence and control.
Wilson didn’t sound surprised by his own composure afterward.
“I always feel like toward the end of the game, I’m going to do the right thing," Wilson said after the game. "And I love those moments because they show who you really are.
One thing for me is just proving myself right. If I want to be the guy, I have to prove myself right and do clutch things the final moment.
Just having an opportunity to do that is big, especially in an NBA game, especially my second one.”
The box score won’t flash with a highlight-reel dunk or a dramatic step-back three. Wilson’s biggest clutch contribution was four made free throws.
Still, that matters. He recognized the advantage in front of him, played through it, and took care of business at the line.
That is especially notable because free throws had been an issue for him earlier this year. He struggled at the stripe in Summer League and again in the preseason. With the game hanging in the balance for the first time as a pro, he delivered cleanly.
Nobody is crowning him with the “iceman” label just yet. But Wilson already showed the Bulls the kind of moments he’ll have to own if he’s going to become the guy this team needs.
In Other News...
Bulls Fans Got The Exact Spark They Wanted From Two Young Names
The United Center got the kind of early jolt it had been waiting for in the Bulls home opener against Washington, with two young names quickly setting the tone. Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis helped ignite the building in the first quarter, and the energy carried into a first half that felt like it belonged to the next wave of this roster as much as the established pieces.
Wilson, in particular, was everywhere early, piling up 17 points before halftime and doing much of his damage above the rim. With the Bulls ahead 62-57 at the time of reporting, the larger question shifted from the hot start itself to whether Chicago could keep that same burst going once the Wizards tried to settle the game down. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Wilson Is Giving Bulls Fans A Rebuild Reason To Care
Through two games, there has already been a small but noticeable reason for Bulls fans to lean in: rookie Caleb Wilson looks like a player who fits the direction Chicago wants to go. After opening with a loss to Toronto, Wilson followed with a win over Milwaukee and put up 16 points and four rebounds in the first game before coming back with 21 points and six rebounds the next time out.
That kind of early production matters for a team trying to make its rebuild feel tangible, not theoretical. Bulls vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham has already pointed to Wilsons growth as part of a long-term plan built around size, length, athleticism and physicality, the sort of profile Chicago wants to keep stacking as it reshapes the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Win Still Left One Matas Buzelis Decision Under Fire
The Bulls finally got into the win column with a 132-125 victory over the Bucks, but the celebration came with a bit of an eyebrow raise around Matas Buzelis. Chicago was already playing without most of its starters, with Caleb Wilson and Norman Powell among the few regulars available, yet Buzelis still saw his role cut down after being a notable starter in the rotation.
He logged 17 minutes and scored 7 points, while Tre Jones and Issac Okoro picked up some of the minutes he might have gotten. For a player entering his junior season and averaging 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds so far, the usage stood out enough to prompt questions, and coach Tiago Splitter framed it as a move aimed at helping the team most in the moment. [Read more 🡒]