Caleb Wilson touched down in Chicago just three days after hearing his name called No. 4 overall in the 2026 NBA draft. At a Friday press conference in the Advocate Center, the former North Carolina forward sat beside fellow first-rounder Dailyn Swain and made his ambition crystal clear: “I expect to have Rookie of the Year, honestly,” Wilson said, adding that he will work on any deficiencies before the season begins.
Wilson’s confidence rests on a handful of high-profile performances against the draft’s top three prospects. In November he poured 24 points into North Carolina’s 13-point win over Darryn Peterson’s Kansas squad, and in February he tallied 23 points in a three-point victory over Cameron Boozer’s Duke team. His only loss to a top-three opponent came against AJ Dybantsa’s BYU, where Wilson posted a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in a 78-76 defeat.
The Bulls have already penciled in summer-league matchups that pit Wilson against each of those three peers. On July 10 he will face No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies, followed by a July 13 showdown with No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz, and a July 14 test against No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa and the Washington Wizards. A final game against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 16 rounds out the schedule. Wilson told reporters, “I played all of them now... I’m a competitor. I’m going to play them in summer league too.”
Chicago’s front office appears intent on using those early contests to gauge Wilson’s readiness against the very players who defined his college season. By scheduling the Bulls’ first three summer-league games against the top three draft selections, the organization signals that it expects Wilson to compete at the highest rookie level from day one, rather than easing him in gradually.
The NBA’s broader push to spotlight its newest talent dovetails with the Bulls’ narrative of building a “legendary” franchise around home-grown players. If Wilson can replicate his college production in the summer league, the conversation about his Rookie-of-the-Year candidacy will shift from hype to genuine debate, potentially influencing how much playing time he earns once the regular season begins.
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