The Chicago Bulls’ Caleb Wilson pick could pay off huge, and if anyone doubts that, all they need to do is ask Wilson himself. The former North Carolina Tar Heel didn’t hold back during his introductory press conference on Friday.
“I expect to have Rookie of the Year, honestly. I’m going to work hard. I’m going to do what it takes. I feel like the team is really good for me and how I envision to play.” – Caleb Wilson
The quote could be taken as naive bravado from a young basketball player, similar to what Wilson said immediately after the Bulls selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He said that just like Michael Jordan, by selecting him, the Bulls had picked one of the GOATs. While his confidence may be applauded by some and snickered at by others, he may not be far off, at least on his ROY prediction.
Bulls Caleb Wilson Will Get Opportunities
Wilson compares favorably to the three players taken before him in the draft. His .578 field goal percentage is better than the others, dwarfing second-overall pick Darryn Peterson’s (.438). Despite averaging 19.8 points per game, Wilson also took significantly fewer shots (14 per 36 minutes) than Peterson (18), AJ Dybantsa (18), and Cameron Boozer (15). Efficient scoring can make a rookie of the year campaign an easily attainable goal.
Four of the last five ROY winners had worse shooting percentages in college than Wilson (Victor Wembanyama did not play college basketball). Cooper Flagg won the award last season for the Mavericks, after shooting .481 at Duke the year before. The closest any of the last five winners came to Wilson’s shooting was Scottie Barnes (the 2021-22 winner), who shot .503 in his one season at Florida State.
Wilson is also going to be in a situation where he will get more opportunities than the players taken before him. Chicago’s top two players in shot attempts last year are on different teams now. Nikola Vucevic (13.8 attempts) was traded to the Boston Celtics, and Coby White (13.6) is with the Charlotte Hornets. Based on the last 10 games of the season, the Bulls’ top shooters will be Collin Sexton and Tre Jones, leaving a huge opportunity to be the top shooting big man (6’10).
It also bodes well for him that new head coach Tiago Splitter knows how to utilize players like Wilson. In 2024-25, the Portland Trailblazers Deni Avdija took 11.7 shots per game, averaging 16.9 points per game. Under Splitter last season, who filled in as the interim head coach, Avdija took 16.1 shots per game and finished the season averaging 24.2 points per game. It’s easy to imagine what Splitter could do with someone who has Wilson’s length, athleticism, and talent.
The Other Players Won’t
Dybantsa, the top pick in the draft, is headed to Washington, where Trae Young is sure to dominate the ball and the team’s shot attempts. They already have a veteran former top pick in Alexandre Sarr, who will get to shoot more than Dybantsa. The best-case scenario for the former BYU star is that he gets to play third fiddle in the offense.
Peterson is in an even worse spot, going to a team that returns three players who averaged more than 20 points per game last year. He will have a hard time getting shots, and for a player who isn’t the most efficient scorer, he may be lucky to average 10ppg as a rookie. Boozer could pose a threat, since the Grizzlies appear to be shopping star, Ja Morant. They seem to be having trouble finding a suitor, though, so Boozer may not get the touches that Wilson will in Chicago.
Scoring aside, Wilson is clearly the best defensive player of the top four picks. He averaged more steals (1.5) and blocks (1.4) than any of his contemporaries. Not only is he going to score more points per game than any of the players taken ahead of him, but he’s actually a two-way player, which will most certainly be taken into account when the press castys it’s votes. Whether Wilson will be an all-time great when the dust settles is a long way from being determined, but he may be right about winning the rookie of the uyear next season.
