Caleb Wilson to Undergo Hand Surgery: When Will the Bulls Get Him Back?

The Chicago Bulls have added injury to insult.

After a 1-9 start to the season that has led to noticeable frustration for a young roster, the Bulls will now have to move forward without their No. 1 building block. Caleb Wilson suffered a fractured hand in Wednesday night's loss to the San Antonio Spurs and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Wilson will undergo surgery on Tuesday, the Bulls confirmed to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network. The expectation is that he will miss 4-to-6 weeks, with a possible re-evaluation in three weeks.

An early timeline for his return would have him missing 13 games, while the latter would put him at 20 games missed with a return set for shortly after Christmas.

Caleb Wilson fractured his right hand and will undergo surgery today, per Bulls PR. He’ll likely be re-evaluated in 3 weeks and could miss 4-6 weeks
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 12, 2026

Wilson sustained the injury during the second half at the United Center. The Chicago Sports Network broadcast appeared to locate the moment it happened. Wilson could be seen trying to poke the ball away while guarding Victor Wembanyama before swiping at it again as he raised it above his head.

Soon after, Wilson could be seen grasping at his hand and chose not to go up to defend a Spurs layup. He quickly headed toward the bench and exited the court with the training staff. Chicago would promptly rule him out for the rest of the game with a right-hand injury.

Here's the play Caleb Wilson got hurt on last night. Hope he's ok. pic.twitter.com/gjDk6O4p7K
— SleeperBulls (@SleeperChicago) November 12, 2026

Wilson did enter the game as questionable with hip soreness. The Bulls decided to let him play after warm-ups. With that in mind, it was unclear at the time whether the decision could be more precautionary, as Wilson was now dealing with two separate issues.

Nevertheless, when asked after the game for a status update on Wilson, Tiago Splitter only shared that the team hoped to learn more the following day. The hours proceeded to tick by, raising more concerns about the severity.

Wilson is now expected to remain sidelined until late December, creating a major hole for the rebuilding Bulls at both ends of the floor. Chicago will also surely plan to practice an abundance of caution with their new star, as this isn't the first time Wilson has sustained a significant hand injury.

The forward saw his one-year at UNC cut short due to issues with both hands. Wilson first broke his left hand during a February meeting with the Miami Hurricanes. Then, while attempting to ramp back up, Wilson proceeded to break his right thumb. This issue required surgery and forced Wilson out for the remainder of the season.

Things Just Got Harder for the Bulls

Nov 11, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson (8) scores against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Bulls now have another significant hurdle to overcome as they attempt to find stable ground. While their schedule will ease up in the coming weeks after a gauntlet start, replacing Wilson's two-way energy will be extremely difficult. It's also never a good thing to have such a promising piece miss key developmental time in Year 1.

With that said, if anyone can bounce back quickly from such an injury, it's likely Wilson. He has experience facing similar issues in the past, and it's not as if he needed much time to adjust to life in the NBA. Is he still learning? Absolutely, and this injury will stunt some of that immediate growth. But Wilson has already shown that he has what it takes to be an impact guy when healthy.

The only good news for the Bulls is that their roster is somewhat well-equipped to fill the open power forward spot. Whether it be Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue, Leonard Miller, or Patrick Williams, this is a team that has a fair share of long and athletic wings. Still, there is no replacing the pure explosiveness that Wilson brings to the floor.

Buzelis will undoubtedly be asked to pick up the most slack. The spotlight was already on him after a sluggish first few weeks, as he looked uncomfortable finding his way in this new system. Now will be an opportunity for him to play a more familiar role, as plenty of on-ball reps and shot attempts are about to open up.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X and Facebook for the latest news

Add us as a preferred source on Google