Chicago Bulls fans have gotten a clearer idea of how the 2026 NBA draft is likely to fall next week. A.J. Dybantsa of BYU is still the heavy favorite to go #1 overall to the Washington Wizards. From there, it’s felt Darryn Peterson of Kansas and Cameron Boozer of Duke will go #2 and #3 in one order or another. That will leave the Chicago Bulls with North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson as the likeliest option at #4. While it may seem like a consolation prize, plenty of experts believe Wilson might have the highest ceiling of the four.
His combination of size, length, explosive athleticism, and defensive ferocity is easy to build a team around. Common comparisons for him include four-time All-Star Pascal Siakam and two-time NBA champion Chris Bosh. However, one of the more interesting names dropped was Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. Given what he accomplished in Minnesota and Boston, that would be an incredible score. One person buying into that is four-time champion Draymond Green. He said on his podcast that not only does he see Wilson as a Garnett clone, but Garnett might actually be his floor.
That is lofty expectations for Caleb Wilson.
Calling a 15-time All-Star the floor of a draft prospect sounds insane. Then again, Green has a long-standing reputation for outlandish comments. That said, the comparison still stands. Garnett had the same template as Wilson coming out of high school: tall, long, explosive, gritty, and relentless on defense. At his peak, he averaged 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists every night. All of that while he built his reputation as one of the best defensive power forwards in NBA history.
Expecting Caleb Wilson to become that is a little unfair. No young player should have that hanging over his head. Still, there is no question that he has the capability to match all of those achievements. After all, he very nearly averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds during his season with North Carolina. He was sorely missed in the team’s NCAA tournament opener as they had no answer for Virginia Commonwealth guard Terrence Hill Jr., who scored 34. If Wilson had been on the floor, it’s likely those scoring chances would’ve been far fewer.
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The Bulls don’t have to overthink this.
Wilson has every tool imaginable to thrive in the NBA, both mentally and physically. All he needs is continued development. Chicago just hired a coach who is equipped to do that. Tiago Splitter played forward himself in his NBA career, and then proved he could develop as well during his stints in Paris Basketball and Portland. He does a great job learning the strengths of each player and crafting an approach that works for them. No doubt he picked up much of that from playing for Gregg Popovich.
While Garnett is a great comparison, it’s possible Splitter will see Wilson as more of a Kawhi Leonard type. Either way, it sure sounds like the Bulls could get somebody special. There is no predicting how NBA careers turn out. What we know for sure is that Wilson has as good a chance as any to reach superstardom. Doing so in Chicago would put him in a tier few have reached in the past 30 years.
