The Caleb Wilson buzz in Chicago has reached new levels, as Bulls fans were treated to a historic summer league debut by the former North Carolina standout. And from the moment he was taken No. 4 by Chicago in the 2026 NBA Draft, Wilson has gone all-in on winning over people in The Windy City. He just gave people yet another reason to believe in his future.
Thanks to the Bulls, we've been given an inside look at Wilson's pre-draft meeting with Chicago brass. To say the talented forward displayed passion would be an understatement, as he quite literally gave the Bulls no other option than to take him off the board if his name was still up there when they were on the clock:
A must watch 🍿⤵️ https://t.co/HTKnmJEO1U
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) July 12, 2026
Caleb Wilson's emphatic pitch to the Bulls made their NBA Draft call incredibly easy
"I feel like I'm your guy," Wilson said without hesitation. "Honestly, I would love to play in Chicago. I'm a dawg."
Wilson has wasted no time proving he's a dawg, too, as his Summer League debut was the stuff of legends. In case you missed it, Wilson and the Bulls suffered a tough loss to the Grizzlies, but he put on a show with his 35 points. Those 35 points set the new record for the most by a player in their Summer League debut.
To make things even better for Wilson, he buried seven 3-pointers on the night, showcasing the kind of outside shooting that many of us didn't know he was capable of. That type of performance has plenty of people in Chicago dreaming about a bright future for the Bulls, while people in Chapel Hill will be following this ride pretty dang closely.
What makes Wilson's hot start this summer so fun, too, is that he plays the game with a confident but not arrogant mentality. Wilson has every right to be cocky, but he still has a bit of a humble way of going about things. This was what everyone loved seeing while he was at North Carolina, and now more of the same is on display with Chicago.
Thus far, this has proven to be a perfect match between the two sides, but we won't know just how special Wilson can be until the regular season gets here. It's one thing to ball out in Summer League action like this, but everything will change once Wilson starts going head-to-head with All-Star veterans on a consistent basis.
There are, of course, going to be plenty of ups and downs for him during his rookie season, but the potential is there for Wilson to be a total stud and be in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Chicago had an easy decision to rock with him at No. 4 overall, and thus far Wilson is thanking the Bulls in a huge way. We'll see what the youngster can do for an encore in his next Summer League showing, but don't be surprised if another brilliant performance arrives.
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