Bulls' Caleb Wilson Says He Expects to Win Rookie of the Year

Bulls No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson said at his introductory press conference that he expects to win Rookie of the Year and pledged to get Chicago 'back where it was,' days after invoking Michael Jordan on draft night.

Bulls' Caleb Wilson Says He Expects to Win Rookie of the Year
Caleb Wilson expects to win Rookie of the Year. Photo: Chicago Sun-Times

Key Points

  • No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson said he expects to win Rookie of the Year.
  • Pledged to get Chicago “back where it was.”
  • A 6-9 forward who averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds at North Carolina.
  • Invoked Michael Jordan on draft night.

Caleb Wilson is not lacking for confidence. At his introductory press conference Friday, the Chicago Bulls’ No. 4 pick set his bar plainly: “I expect to have Rookie of the Year, honestly.” He paired it with a promise to the city — “making sure that I get this city back to where it was” — days after invoking Michael Jordan, the North Carolina great who defined the franchise, on draft night.

The résumé gives the talk some footing. A 6-foot-9 forward, Wilson averaged 19.8 points on 58% shooting and 9.4 rebounds in his lone season at North Carolina, and scouts pegged him as one of the highest-upside athletes in a deep 2026 class — the one that produced last year’s Cooper Flagg-led rookie wave.

The read: Chicago has spent years in the play-in wilderness, and a rookie willing to say the GOAT’s name out loud is either the jolt a rebuild needs or a headline waiting to age badly. Either way, the Bulls just got their most quotable young player in a decade.

Source: ESPN, Chicago Sun-Times

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