Kathryn Sears
A few months ago, during the 2026 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls made a potential franchise-altering selection.
They opted to take 20-year-old forward Caleb Wilson out of the University of North Carolina, a school with obvious ties to the franchise. Wilson was a top prospect coming out of high school in Atlanta, Georgia, and has continued to live up to his five-star status ever since.
The former McDonald’s All-American has a chance to bring exciting basketball back to Chicago. Wilson is expected to be a big part of the youth movement that this front office and new coaching staff have implemented.
Wilson was off to a raging hot start for the Tar Heels before he broke his hand just a month before the NCAA Tournament and missed the rest of the season. At the time of his injury, Wilson was leading UNC in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals – nearly all five major categories. If the broken hand hadn’t occurred, Wilson could’ve very well been selected earlier than fourth.
Caleb Wilson is wired DIFFERENT 😤 The Chicago Bulls rookie snapped at the Maconomics Celebrity Game, dropping 60+ points and hitting the 155-154 game-winner in 3OT. He teamed up with Bulls’ Matas Buzelis at Whitney Young HS—blocks away from the United Center 👀🔴 pic.twitter.com/l8iN5Na1Eu
— Scott/Ballislife (@BallisLifeCHI) August 31, 2026
It’s obvious that Wilson possesses the talent, but how will his game translate to the next level?
The NBA is a cut-throat league. One day, you’re being selected in the top five, and strolling around Manhattan with a new contract. A year later, you could be fighting for your spot on the roster. The numbers show it: the Association’s success rate is low.
One key move the Bulls made this year was hiring a new head coach. They grabbed Tiago Splitter, a former NBA Champion center, from the Portland Trail Blazers. Executives across the league were shocked to hear that Portland didn’t re-sign Splitter after their successful year. Chicago took advantage and grabbed him.
Caleb Wilson says Chicago Bulls HC Tiago Splitter is “Very detailed”, praises his work ethic, and seriousness
Wilson has high expectations for himself, and rightfully so.
The talent he possesses is one that very few have coming right out of college. Maybe not so much these days, since it seems like athletes in professional sports keep getting better and better. His raw athleticism and passion for the game are traits many front offices love.
ESPN’s Jamal Collier did a story on the new-look Chicago Bulls. He highlighted how Wilson and Splitter are getting along during the first few months.
When he was asked about his new head coach, you could immediately tell Caleb was a fan.
“He’s really detailed,” Wilson said. “He knows what he wants you to do and he’s pretty serious. Most coaches, you have coaches that are joking around and stuff like that. Tiago’s pretty serious and he knows what he wants.
Wilson continued his praise, saying, “I’d rather have someone who’s serious and straightforward with me, so I know what I can do better.”
Splitter offered similar praise for Wilson, saying it’s clear the Bulls have that guy now. Strong words from a player who shared the floor with the likes of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.
However, Splitter’s team-focused approach will clearly reign supreme in Chicago.
“You have to adapt your system to the players you have,” Splitter said, “I have a vision. I have a certain way I want to play, but you also have to explore what they do best. That’s what we’re going to do here.”
When the season begins in just a few short months, it’ll be intriguing to see how Wilson and the rest of the Bulls adapt to each other and a new coach. In a massive market like Chicago, fans have expectations. And as we’ve seen in the past, if you don’t meet those expectations, seats will stay empty.
More Chicago sports news: Caleb Williams responds to being called ‘goofy’ by head coach Ben Johnson
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Kathryn is the main contributor to the quiz section of LaDailyGazette.com. If you have an idea for a quiz, let us know.