The Chicago Bulls rookie found himself in elite company after his Summer League performance. but lower than many fans expected.
The Chicago Bulls are banking on a strong first season from rookie power forward Caleb Wilson in 2026-27 on the heels of a strong Summer League performance in Las Vegas.
Wilson led the Bulls in scoring with an average of 23.5 points per game over four games, topping second and third-place finishers Jaylin Sellers (15.6 ppg) and Donovan Atwell (10.6 ppg), both of whom played in five contests.
Wilson was named to the NBA's All-Summer League First Team after his four-game stretch, joining Cameron Boozer of the Memphis Grizzlies, Brayden Burries of the Milwaukee Bucks, Yaxel Lendeborg of the Golden State Warriors and Maleek Thomas of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On Monday, Wilson was held up to the microscope by the venerable NBA 2K video game series, which released the rookie rankings for its upcoming NBA2K27 video game, scheduled for release on Sept. 4, 2026.
He was given a lofty ranking by the video game's producers, but one that also felt like a disappointment after his strong Summer League performance.
Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson(8) during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Wilson Takes Fourth Among NBA Rookies
NBA 2K27 stuck to the league's original draft order in its rankings as Wilson remained fourth, the same place where he was selected by the Bulls this past June 23.
"Ready to make their names known," the NBA2K official account wrote on X on Monday with a fire emoji.
Washington Wizards number one overall pick A.J. Dybantsa out of BYU was given the top spot, followed by Utah Jazz point guard Darryn Peterson out of Kansas, Memphis Grizzlies power forward Cameron Boozer out of Duke and Wilson.
Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer were all given 79 ratings while Wilson was given a 77.
Keaton Wagler, selected fifth overall by the Los Angeles Clippers out of Illinois, was next with a 75 rating followed by Darius Acuff, Jr. of the Sacramento Kings, who also had a 75 rating.
Wilson Underrated Heading Into First Season?
Wilson didn't just lead the Bulls in scoring, he became one of the NBA's most exciting young players in a matter of days as he lit the NBA's Summer League on fire.
It's hard to remember a player whose talents were more striking than the Bulls rookie, who many already believe is the best in class headed toward October's first wave of regular season games.
Wilson appears underrated headed into the season and that's not a knock on the players ahead of him, who have all drawn rave reviews since entering the league.
The Bulls' rookie already has a chip on his shoulder heading into his rookie campaign, now he will have extra motivation as he seeks to prove that the popular video game's rankings were not entirely fair to him.
Expect a strong start to the 2026-27 season for the North Carolina Tar Heels rookie as he seeks to adda few more numbers to his score headed toward the 2027 calendar year.
