Caleb Wilson robbed of another chance to prove he fell too far with latest Summer League news

There was a clear top four in the 2026 NBA Draft. While it seemed there was disagreement about the order of the top-three prospects, AJ Dybantasa, who ultimately went No. 1 to the Washington Wizards, Darryn Peterson, who went No. 2 to the Utah Jazz, and Cameron Boozer, who was drafted No. 3 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, there was consensus that Caleb Wilson belonged at No. 4, where the Chicago Bulls ultimately selected him. 

Though it’s only Summer League, Wilson seems intent on proving that consensus wrong. It came in a loss to Boozer’s Grizzlies, but that path began with a 35-point performance that included seven three-pointers in his Summer League debut on Friday. It was set to continue on Monday night with the Bulls matching up against Peterson’s Jazz at 9:00 p.m. ET from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. 

However, on Monday, Utah Jazz beat writer Sarah Todd reported that Peterson, along with 2025 first-round picks Ace Bailey and Cody Williams, will sit out the game. 

Darryn Peterson to sit out Summer League matchup vs. Caleb Wilson

All four of the draft’s top prospects have acquitted themselves well this summer, but Peterson burst onto the scene first, dominating in the Jazz’s Salt Lake City Summer League games. He arrived in Vegas with considerable buzz and has continued to deliver on it, scoring 24 points in Utah’s Sunday night loss. 

Now, with his status as one of the top players in the class and in the Summer League secured, Peterson is sitting out the back-to-back. It’s an unsurprising move for a player who struggled with injuries throughout his lone collegiate season, particularly cramping issues he later revealed were tied to creatine use. 

Some may argue that Peterson sitting out reaffirms those concerns about his durability and love of the game. I’m not one to get in the way of a good narrative, but that’s just plainly unfair. The Jazz are looking to protect their investment. Peterson is a cut above just about everyone else in the Summer League. His real test will come when he makes his NBA debut this fall. There’s no reason for Utah to risk a long-term injury getting in the way of that. 

Wilson did not play in a pre-Vegas Summer League, so Monday night will only be the second Summer League action. He already answered the biggest question surrounding his NBA ceiling by hitting as many threes in one game as he did all season at UNC. Still, Chicago would probably like to see a bit more of him as an on-ball creator and allow him to build his confidence in that realm, especially after missing the end of his collegiate season with multiple hand injuries. 

It’s unfortunate we don’t get to see this matchup in the Summer League, but if Wilson plays well on Monday night, there’s a good chance he’s sitting out on Tuesday night when the Bulls play Dybantsa’s Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back. 

Wilson could prove to be the best of the bunch in the 2026 class. And as much as he may want to prove that right now, even if Peterson played on Monday night, it wouldn’t mean much. The only way to prove it is when the games start to matter in the regular season.

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