As the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, forward Caleb Wilson joins the Chicago Bulls after a historic freshman campaign at North Carolina.
Wilson was a consensus second-team All-American selection, averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 57.8% from the field. He set the freshman program records for scoring average and 20-point games (17).
The 19-year-old was limited to 24 games after suffering a broken left hand in a loss to Miami on Feb. 10. He then broke his right thumb while dunking during a practice on March 5, which ruled him out of the remainder of the season.
Wilson became the seventh player to be drafted by the Bulls with the fourth pick and the first since Patrick Williams in 2020.
He is the Tar Heels' highest-drafted player since Marvin Williams was selected No. 2 by the Atlanta Hawks in 2005.
The 6-foot-10 Wilson was named to the All-Summer League first team, averaging 23.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals in four games. He ranked fourth in total points (94) among all players, having scored 19 or more in each appearance.
Wilson enters his rookie campaign with plenty of hype after dazzling in Las Vegas earlier this summer. He has already become a fan favorite in such a short time and appears poised to have a productive first season on the court with the Bulls.
Throughout September, Rookie Wire is compiling some of the most interesting facts about each first-round pick in an effort to further introduce the incoming draft class ahead of the 2026-27 season
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Baseball
Much like another notable former Tar Heel who later played for the Bulls, Wilson had a keen interest in baseball. He grew up a big fan of it and revealed to People magazine after the draft that it was his favorite sport, and not basketball. He eventually focused primarily on basketball around the age of 14, when he hit a growth spurt and the sport "was chosen for me."
Since joining the Bulls, Wilson has attended a Chicago White Sox game and, as of Thursday, a Cubs game. He, along with teammate Matas Buzelis and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, was spotted cheering the team on from a front-row seat behind the Cubs' dugout. He even met Cubs center fielder and MVP front-runner Pete Crow-Armstrong after they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers.
are they really your friends if they don't ride for you like this? pic.twitter.com/wEHBxNIEho
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 4, 2026
No. 8
Wilson honored the late Kobe Bryant by wearing No. 24 at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School (Sandy Springs, Georgia) before switching to No. 8 at North Carolina, which were the two jersey numbers the Hall of Famer donned throughout his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, both of which were retired by the franchise. He has often said that he modeled his game after Bryant growing up and tries to play with a "Mamba Mentality," as made famous by the five-time champion.
"So in high school, I wore No. 24 because of Kobe, then in college I wore No. 8 because of Kobe," Wilson said in July, via the NBA on X. "I was just like, I'm going to stick with No. 8, keep it calm and classy."
Country Music
From NBA YoungBoy to Green Day, Wilson has broad musical tastes, but he is also a big fan of country after Tar Heels teammate Derek Dixon got him into the genre before he debuted with the team. He named artists like Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and Luke Combs as some of his favorites, and he even joined Bryan onstage at a concert in Charlotte earlier this year.
Stoicism
Wilson revealed upon joining the Tar Heels that history was one of his favorite subjects in high school. He recalled a class that he took as a senior that really struck him, leading him to learn more about the subject and discover Stoicism. He said he begins each day by reading "The Daily Stoic," a guide by Ryan Holiday offering daily meditations.
"I read a bunch of Stoicism," Wilson said in October, via TarHeel247. "I feel like it is beneficial to your mental health. I feel like it kind of makes me approach the days differently than I used to before."
Nikola Jokić
Wilson has studied plenty of players over the years, but he has spent perhaps the most time watching three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. He has joked that he wasn't all that athletic growing up and would learn how to play by watching Jokić, even before he led the Denver Nuggets to the title in 2023.
"I liked to watch a lot of Jokić when I was young, probably early high school or middle school for me," Wilson said during his introductory press conference on June 26. "I wasn't really that athletic when I was younger, so I used to watch him a lot because I feel like he can pass the ball really well, and I thought that was something I could do well, too."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 5 fun facts: Get to know Bulls' Caleb Wilson before 2026-27 season
