NBA Draft Review: How Caleb Wilson Fits with the Chicago Bulls

On draft night, the Chicago Bulls waited as the “top tier” of NBA prospects went off the board: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer.

In May, new Bulls’ decision-maker Bryson Graham spoke at his introductory press conference about the state of the roster, deeming it in the “developmental stage.”

He also spoked about the lens with which he’ll be viewing additions to the team speaking on SLAP — size, length, athleticism and physicality.

“We would love to have size, length, athleticism and physicality all across the board,” Graham said. “The more versatile you can be, the better you are.”

With the fourth overall pick, the Bulls nabbed North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, who likely embodied the SLAP mantra more than any other in the draft class. Below, we’ll assess his fit with Chicago:

The Pick: No. 4

The trio of Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer were locked into the top-three even before the class played college basketball. Wilson did his best to break into it, but was largely labeled as the fourth-best prospect due to his lack of 3-point shooting.

The Value:

Several pundits labeled it as a “four-man” class opposed to three, meaning the Bulls got great value with their first selection. Wilson isn’t a bonafide No. 1-level prospect, but he’s certainly close. And could hit that outcome with the right development.

The Fit:

In terms of SLAP, Wilson is elite. He stands at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot wingspan, blowing the first two letters of the acronym off the page. Additionally he has some of the better vertical pop in the entire class, in addition to a fluidity in his movement.

He needs to work on bolstering his physicality, but certainly isn’t shy about showing it on the interior.

Schematically, Wilson fits the Bulls as their newest cornerstone piece like a glove. The other locked-in longer-term players are likely to be budding forward Matas Buzelis, as well as a great guard producer in Josh Giddey.

Buzelis should help to take offensive pressure off Wilson on the wing and at the forward position, and Giddey — who helped the Thunder become a contender — should be able to set him up and help him play-finish with consistency.

Outside of those two, the Bulls don’t have much structure, though Wilson should be able to experiment and learn the ropes in the NBA. In his Summer League debut he made seven threes — tying his entire collegiate output — and he should have a similar leash at the NBA level.

Overall, Wilson’s landing spot in Chicago is perfect for both team and player.

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