Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson is determined to be great

The overwhelming opinion from the start of the 2025-26 college basketball season through the 2026 NBA draft was that the three best prospects were AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer. Sitting steady in the fourth slot, and unable to change the narrative surrounding the trio, was Caleb Wilson.

When the 2026 NBA draft arrived, it played out as projected. The former North Carolina forward was selected fourth by the Chicago Bulls after Dybansta, Peterson and Boozer.

Wilson is known for having a long memory for slights against him dating back to his high school days, and falling to fourth only fueled the motivated rookie with superstar expectations.

“Everybody has the right to their own opinion, so I don’t really care,” Wilson told Andscape. “I’ll have the opportunity to play against everybody.”

The 19-year-old Atlanta native has a chance to make his first NBA statement Friday night when he debuts for the Bulls at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas against Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Wilson averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 24 games at North Carolina before a thumb injury prematurely ended his freshman season. He was one of just three Division I freshmen since the 1940s to post at least 19 points, nine rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

A 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward, he shot 57.8% from the field and was leading the nation in dunks (67) when his season ended. Wilson also has a wingspan just more than 7 feet, a 9-foot standing reach and a 39½-inch running vertical.

“I expect to [win] Rookie of the Year, honestly,” Wilson said at his Bulls introductory news conference. “I’m going to work hard. I’m going to do what it takes. I feel like this team is really good for me for how I envision to play. And I know I’m a hard worker. So, whatever I need to fix and work on before the season and throughout the season, I’m going to work on it and be a great player.”

Wilson was nearing a return from a fractured left hand suffered Feb. 10 when he broke his right thumb while dunking in practice March 5. Rather than returning to the lineup in time to lead the Tar Heels into the postseason — and potentially make one final pitch to raise his draft stock — Wilson watched as his team suffered consecutive losses to archrival Duke in the regular-season finale, Clemson in the ACC tournament and VCU in the NCAA tournament.

Wilson said being sidelined by injury was “the hardest time of my life.”

“Honestly, it was a rough point,” he said. “But I just healed. I healed way faster than I was supposed to, and I just got back to work, honestly. But it just made me grateful for the opportunity to play, and then just kind of added more fuel to my fire now that I’m back playing and have the opportunity to play the summer league. … I’m kind of coming with the same kind of energy and vengeance I have to.”

Back on the court, Wilson has ambitions to be not only a top rookie but also one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

Another former North Carolina star, Michael Jordan, led the Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s and is arguably the greatest player of all time. As a rookie in 1984-85, Jordan averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, winning NBA Rookie of the Year and earning a second-team All-NBA selection.

When asked about Jordan after being drafted by the Bulls, Wilson said: “I want to be better than Mike. Honestly, I know it’s a lot to [reach that goal]. But I’m writing my own story.”

Wilson is already showing the Bulls that he isn’t just talking the talk with his work ethic. New Bulls general manager Bryson Graham told Andscape he is impressed with “C-Dub,” who turns 20 later this month.

“Caleb is such a great kid,” Graham said. “He’s so determined to be a great player. He is such a competitor and has an extremely high work rate. He has been in the gym every day, twice a day, since the day he’s got to Chicago. If I’m at the office late and hear the ball bouncing at 9 and 10 p.m, it’s C-Dub getting extra work in.

“You can tell the game means a lot to him. Even at his age, he’s serious about how he approaches each day. I have no doubt that he is going to take full advantage of every opportunity given to him.”

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