By R.L. Bynum
Caleb Wilson is headed from Chapel Hill to Chicago, joining one of the NBA’s most iconic franchises and following the path of the most famous Tar Heel, Michael Jordan.
The moment Tuesday night in Brooklyn, when the Chicago Bulls made Wilson the No. 4 overall pick in the NBA draft, carried added meaning because former Carolina coach Hubert Davis was at the Barclays Center to share it with him.
“It means everything,” Wilson said in a press conference. “He’s been a great role model and great support system in my life, and it just means a lot for him to be here, and I always love him, and I appreciate him for being my coach.”
The Bulls got a player they believe can help define their rebuild. Wilson will get the chance to become part of the franchise’s next era while acknowledging the history attached to a great UNC player wearing red in Chicago. The Bulls made Jordan the No. 3 overall pick in the 1984 draft and were rewarded with six NBA titles.
“I’m writing my own story, man,” Wilson said. “Honestly, I want to be better than Mike. I know it’s a lot to go, but I’m writing my own story for sure.
“I feel like it’s a great pipeline from UNC to the Bulls. I’m just ready to keep it going,” said Wilson, who is the highest Tar Heel to be picked since Atlanta made Marvin Williams the No. 2 pick in 2005.
Caleb Wilson’s portion of the press conference starts at 10:15.
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Wilson arrives at a moment of sweeping change for the Bulls organization, which has finally committed to a full reset after years of treading water. At the trade deadline last season, they dealt former UNC guard Coby White to Charlotte.
Chicago fired executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley on April 6 after one playoff appearance in six seasons and four straight years outside the playoffs. Veteran coach Billy Donovan, who UNC pursued for hits head coaching job, resigned on April 21 so the next lead executive could hire his coach and shape the next phase of the franchise.
The Bulls finished 31–51 and 12th in the Eastern Conference last season, a result that pushed ownership to remake the basketball side of the organization.
The Bulls hired Bryson Graham as executive vice president of basketball operations on May 4 after his rise through the front offices in New Orleans and Atlanta, then added Stephen Mervis as senior vice president of basketball operations and Acie Law IV as vice president of player personnel on May 19. On June 16, Chicago named former Portland coach Tiago Splitter its head coach, giving Graham a new front office and coaching structure to build around a young roster.
That is the world Wilson is entering, and it is one built around patience, development and upside. In his introductory press conference, Graham said the Bulls are in a rebuilding phase and acknowledged that the roster is “in a developmental stage right now.”
Wilson said that the blank-slate environment appealed to him.
“I feel like it’s a great fit,” he said. “You only get one chance to make a first impression, so it’s time for me to make my impression in Summer League and keep going. I’m really happy I got drafted, but it’s time to hoop. I’m excited for the opportunity, and it’s time to go to work.”
Graham has talked about building the right way, and Wilson fits that approach as a long, athletic, versatile forward whose ceiling is part of what made him one of the most coveted players in the draft. For a franchise that has spent much of the past decade searching for direction, that level of confidence may be exactly what makes Wilson such an appealing fit.
Wilson’s freshman season at North Carolina is the reason he entered the draft with that kind of profile. In 24 games, he averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 57.8% from the floor. He posted 11 double-doubles, scored in double figures in every game he played and joined Tyler Hansbrough as the only two freshmen to lead the Tar Heels in scoring, rebounding and steals. He also became the third UNC freshman to earn first-team All-ACC honors.
“I expect to bring everything I did in North Carolina and more,” Wilson said. “I’ve gotten better, and I know I’m going to keep the same mentality and approach towards the game so that nothing will change there. It’s just my skill set being able to be shown more.”
His tools have only strengthened his NBA appeal. At the draft combine, Wilson measured 6–9 1/4 without shoes with a 7–foot-1/4 wingspan and a 9-foot standing reach, numbers that support the kind of positional flexibility NBA teams crave.
Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Rob Dillingham, Noa Essengue, Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro, Jalen Smith and Patrick Williams are among the players under contract for the Bulls, with Leonard Miller also on the books and several veterans eligible for free agency. That group suggested Chicago was building a younger core even before the draft added another blue-chip talent.
On Monday, the Bulls reportedly agreed to acquire center Nic Claxton from Brooklyn in a three-team trade involving Minnesota, adding a proven defensive center. NBA.com reported that Chicago would receive Claxton while sending Mouhamadou Gueye to the Timberwolves as part of the deal. However, the trade cannot be finalized until July 6 because the Bulls are using cap space to execute the deal. If completed as reported, that move would give Chicago a likely starting center to pair with its young perimeter and forward talent.
That means Wilson enters a situation with opportunity. Giddey remains one of the team’s key playmakers. Buzelis is viewed as an important young building block on the wing. Dillingham, Essengue and Williams give the Bulls additional developmental pieces, while Claxton would offer shot-blocking and finishing inside if the trade becomes official next month.
With the 15th pick in the first round on Tuesday, the Bulls selected Texas guard Dailyn Swain.
Wilson said he is eager to step into that mix.
“I’m excited, beyond excited for this opportunity,” he said. “I feel like I’ll do great with the team, and I feel like I have a good relationship with some of the players already. So, I’m just ready to get to work.”
If the Bulls are serious about development, Wilson is exactly the type of player who could benefit from that environment early in his career.
Now Wilson heads to Chicago with the expectations that come with being a top-five pick, the résumé of one of Carolina’s best freshmen and the confidence to embrace the challenge of helping shape what comes next for the Bulls.
Photo via YouTube screenshot
