Chicago Bulls’ rookie Caleb Wilson is creating a lot of buzz in NBA Summer League play, but patience needs to be exercised.

NBA Summer League is fully underway. The fanbases around the league are getting the first taste of the incoming rookies from the 2026 NBA Draft. For a young team like the Chicago Bulls, there is a lot to get excited about in Summer League play. Right now, Caleb Wilson alone is the reason to be excited about the upcoming NBA season.

The fourth overall pick and one of the franchise’s future faces is already turning heads. He went off in his Summer League debut, posting 35 points including seven 3-pointers, followed by a respectable 19 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks. Oh, and perhaps the dunk of the Summer League schedule.

Despite the quality individual efforts, the Bulls are 0-2 in Summer League play. Undrafted rookie Jaylin Sellers has put up some nice point totals, but the rest of the Summer League roster has left a lot to be desired. Wins and losses don’t matter in Summer League, especially in the grand scheme of things. However, seeing the competitive spirit in Wilson is invigorating.

All of that said, there are still things to be desired in Wilson’s game. Now, make no mistake, I firmly believe he will improve on things like his free-throw shooting, but something like that is the difference between a good player and a great player. Wilson drives the net a lot, and being able to cash in on free throws when he chooses to be aggressive will be critical.

In addition, the defense in Summer League is frankly awful. Once Wilson steps into regular NBA minutes, there will be plenty of growing pains.

Story continues below.

More Sports News

.wp-block-group__inner-container:has(> .embla),
.wp-block-group:where(.alignfull) > .wp-block-group__inner-container:has(> .embla) {
width: calc(100vw – (var(–side-spacing) * 2)) !important;
}
.embla {
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
.embla__container {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: nowrap;
gap: 0 !important;
width: 75%;
}
.embla__slide {
margin-inline-end: var(–column-gap);
}
.embla__arrow,
.embla__arrow:active,
.embla__arrow:target,
.embla__arrow:hover,
.embla__arrow:focus-visible {
display: none;
position: absolute;
top: 50%;
transform: translateY(-50%);
width: 40px;
height: 40px;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
line-height: 0;
background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.75);
color: var(–color-primary);
border-radius: 100vw;

svg {
width: 24px;
}
}
.embla__prev {
left: 0;
}
.embla__next {
right: 0;
}
]]>

The building blocks are there for improvement, as told in his conversations with Derrick Rose. However, improvement still takes time, and no matter how many shots he puts up on a daily basis, the patience for a 19-year-old player will be important.

So Bulls fans, there is plenty of reason to be excited about Caleb Wilson. I know I’m excited about the player. That said, let’s be sure to give him grace as he develops as a young player in the NBA.