The Bulls have spent the offseason turning over just about every part of the roster, and now they’re betting Caleb Wilson can help shift the outcome too.
Chicago’s prized rookie made a loud first impression in Summer League, scoring 35 points in his debut and then backing it up with another strong performance. That was enough for one Bulls source to give ESPN’s Jamal Collier a blunt read on what the team thinks it has.
“He looks like we got a dude,” the source said.
Wilson has done plenty to fuel that kind of reaction. He pushed himself into the early Rookie of the Year conversation while also wanting to keep playing after several other notable rookies had already been shut down.
The work behind it started long before he got to Las Vegas. Wilson’s lone season at North Carolina ended in February when he broke his thumb and fractured his left wrist, but even in a cast he told Collier he could still handle a basketball and work on his shooting mechanics.
He took full advantage of that time. Wilson said he was putting up between 2,000 and 2,500 3-pointers a day, then carried that confidence into Summer League by knocking down seven threes in his opener.
“I’m glad I didn’t shoot threes in college,” Wilson said. “Because if I did, I wouldn’t be here.
I don’t know where I’d be. I don’t think I’d be a Bull.”
That work has continued in Chicago, where Collier reported Wilson has been getting in twice-a-day sessions at the team’s practice facility.
Dailyn Swain, another first-round pick, described Wilson’s athleticism as “generational,” and also pointed to the rookie’s growing offensive package.
Summer League can only tell you so much, of course. The real test is still ahead. But after an offseason full of change, the Bulls have plenty of reason to be intrigued by what Wilson might become.
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Billy Donovan Just Raised A New Concern Around Bulls Prospects
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Donovan did draw a distinction for undrafted players who are trying to find their way back into school ball, saying he is supportive of that route. What makes the issue feel more immediate for Chicago is the way Donovan framed the broader recruiting reality around the Bulls G League sphere, where teams are now navigating a market that did not exist in anything like this form a few years ago. The names he had in mind were not identified, but the concern he raised is one plenty of front offices are now watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Bulls, the appeal in a setup like that is less about headline talent and more about being the team that can smooth out the transaction for everyone else. The idea is still entirely speculative, but Chicagos role would be part of the same familiar trade landscape that often emerges when one team wants to simplify its books and another needs a clean path to the player it wants. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Rebuild Could Swing On One Young Piece And A Risky Bet
Chicagos rebuild is starting to take shape around a young core, and Leonard Miller has become one of the more intriguing names in the mix. Alongside Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson and Josh Giddey, he represents the kind of upside the Bulls need as they try to sort out their next direction, and the front office has clearly seen enough progress to keep him in the plan.
The front office also made some veteran additions to stabilize things, bringing in Norman Powell and Nic Claxton, but the move that drew the most attention was Zach Collins. His arrival adds another layer to a roster already balancing development with short-term help, and it is the kind of bet that says plenty about where this team is willing to take risks as it tries to move forward. [Read more 🡒]