The NBA draft is 24 hours away. All preparations have been made by the Chicago Bulls. VP of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham has assembled his front office, found his head coach, and conducted the necessary research and phone calls to gauge how the 1st round will likely unfold. One thing we’ve learned is that the Bulls are unlikely to move from the #4 spot, be it up or down. They will stick and pick the best player available. Most believe that it will be North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.
Yet even now, some experts aren’t sure. They think there is a possibility Wilson goes a bit higher, allowing Cam Boozer or even Darryn Peterson to drop. Much of that stems from Utah at #2, which might be the most unpredictable of the top four teams. In these situations, the actual players may offer hints about what likely happens come draft night. Sure enough, Jeremy Woo of ESPN reported that Wilson’s camp did exactly that. As of writing this, the Bulls are the only team he has worked out for.
“Wilson took his only predraft visit with Chicago, conducting a solo workout last week and spending time with Bulls brass, including newly hired coach Tiago Splitter. The Bulls are thought to be Wilson’s preferred landing spot, and the most likely scenario remains that he will be available to them at No. 4.
While Wilson doesn’t have the same body of work as the three prospects projected ahead of him, the leap in productivity he took at North Carolina greatly enhanced how teams view his long-term potential — his exceptional quickness off the floor and improved motor make him a strong bet to be a high-impact NBA player. As a result, most view this pick as one of the lower-pressure spots and expect it to be a relatively simple decision for Chicago.”
Caleb Wilson appears to expect and want to join the Bulls.
Whispers indicate he loves the idea of playing in Chicago, continuing the pipeline of great North Carolina players making their names there. He undoubtedly saw what it did for Michael Jordan’s career, carving out a legacy as the greatest of all time. There is also a competitive desire to be the one who changes the Bulls’ culture, which has fallen into fractured disrepair over the past several years. Last but not least, he brings something the team desperately needs: more athleticism and intensity on the defensive end.
His fit is obvious. Woo is correct. This is not a pick the Bulls would have to debate. It will be an easy decision for Graham. Players of that talent level don’t come around too often. Yes, Wilson requires a little more development than the other top options in this class, but that is fine. Chicago is in a rebuilding stage anyway. They can afford to be a little more patient. Many have compared Wilson to Kevin Garnett. If that is even remotely true, then the Bulls have every reason to trust the process.
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The only uncertainty is if someone goes rogue.
This is the draft, after all. There are always surprises. Players sometimes go where nobody expects them to. Caleb Wilson is talented enough to potentially convince one of those teams picking in the top three that he’s worth the risk. Danny Ainge, who runs the Jazz, made the iconic trade for Garnett in 2008 that won Boston their 17th championship. If he sees the same qualities in Wilson, nobody should put it past him to make that pick. The bottom line is, Chicago must let the fates take hold.
Every draft expert to this point thinks this top four will go one of two directions. Either Washington will take A.J. Dybantsa or Peterson #1. The loser goes #2. Cam Boozer then goes #3 to Memphis, paving the way for Wilson to Chicago. The player’s own camp seems to think that is the likely outcome. If it does play out that way, expect the Bulls to focus on either landing a center or a guard with the 15th pick.
