UNC star freshman and second-team All-American Caleb Wilson has been selected by the Chicago Bulls as the fourth-overall pick in the NBA Draft. He is now the 56th first-round NBA Draft pick for the Tar Heels, and this number does not include players that transferred to other schools and were later drafted.
What the Bulls are getting in Wilson is someone who could likely be their franchise player if he finds a way to reach his ceiling. Weighing in at 6’9 and 210 lbs, Wilson is an athletic forward that
loves playing above the rim. He Threw down 67 dunks in just 24 games, which was more than any of his collegiate peers. What was unique about his ability to get to the rim is that it didn’t seem to matter what anybody did to stop him — his footwork and ability to navigate traffic made him just about unstoppable when he was in attack mode. The Bulls do not have another guy on the roster with this kind of fire in his game, so he will be a welcomed addition to Tiago Splitter and his staff.
When looking at other aspects of his offensive game, Wilson proved to be a good passer that knew how to punish teams that decided to focus too much on his presence. He was especially dangerous whenever he was on the floor with Henri Veesaar, as they both took turns finding each other in their favorite spots on the floor. Wilson also has a really good mid-range package that may or may not translate well to the NBA. Billy Donovan wasn’t super fond of allowing his guys to shoot mid-range shots unless their name was DeMar DeRozan, but things may be different under Splitter.
Defensively, Caleb Wilson was known to cause issues for teams with how active his hands were. He finished his 2025-26 campaign averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per game, both of which were team highs. It was a common occurrence to see Wilson somewhere near the glass to either record a block or pull down a rebound, which made it really difficult for opponents that enjoyed attacking the rim. He also is able to get out in transition when he forces teams to turn the ball over, and as many would probably guess, he was really good at finishing the play at the rim as well.
The Bulls are definitely getting a project in Wilson, but that is not meant in a derogatory way. Since he will likely play both the 3 and 4, he will have a lot of work to do on his perimeter shooting. He’ll also have to work on his defense on the perimeter as well, and there’s just other mechanical things that should get smoothed out over time. The great news is that the Bulls are in a rebuild, and he will also be joining Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue, two guys that while they play the same position he does have different skillsets than what Wilson brings. I think they will be able to play off each other really well, and I am especially excited to see Buzelis and Wilson tossing lobs to each other in transition.
Overall, this is an excellent landing spot for Caleb Wilson. With the Bulls being in rebuild mode, he will have a chance to develop with a franchise that is also in development so that they can return to title contention for the first time since the early 2010s. What do you think of Wilson making his way to the Windy City? Let us know in the comments below.
