Was Caleb Wilson disrespected by his NBA 2K27 rating? Or is it simply tradition for the rookies to receive low ratings?
The NBA 2K27 video game was released globally over the weekend, and Chicago Bulls fans are already getting the opportunity to see how their favorite team's newest offseason acquisitions mesh with the previous roster.
It was a busy summer for the Bulls, who drafted forward Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 overall pick and wing Dailyn Swain 11 picks later. The team also signed All-Star guard Norman Powell away from the Miami Heat and traded for center Nicolas Claxton in a three-team deal with the Timberwolves and Nets.
Those four will pair with 21-year-old forward Matas Buzelis and 23-year-old point guard Josh Giddey to launch Chicago's rebuild this season.
Powell and Giddey both have the highest ratings in Chicago at 84 overall. Buzelis (81) and Claxton (80) are slightly lower, followed by guard Tre Jones (79).
Mar 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) shoots the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images It isn't until reaching the sixth-best player on the Bulls' roster that Wilson finally appears. At 77 overall, the No. 4 pick trails the three players picked in front of him: the Wizards' AJ Dybantsa, the Jazz's Darryn Peterson and the Grizzlies' Cam Boozer, all of whom are rated 79 overall. It's very likely that those ratings will increase throughout the year, but given that none of them have played in an NBA game yet, the four talented rookies will remain under the 80 overall bar for the near future.
Behind Wilson are forward Jalen Smith (76), forward Zach Collins (75) and wing Isaac Okoro (75), each of whom project to serve sizeable roles for the Bulls off the bench this season. Wing Patrick Williams (74), wing Leonard Miller (74) and guard Rob Dillingham (73) will all be vying for playing time against the aforementioned rotation players.
Rounding out Chicago's roster is a pair of young, unproven first-rounders. Forward Noa Essengue, the No. 12 overall pick in 2025, is rated 72 overall after playing just six minutes last season as a rookie. Swain, the No. 15 overall pick this summer, is the lowest-rated Bull on the active roster at 71 overall. Two-way rookie Tobe Awake and Jaylin Sellers are both rated 68 overall.
Each of the top five players on Chicago's roster increased or maintained their rating from last year's NBA 2K26 game. Jones saw the biggest rise, going from 76 overall to 79, while both Giddey and Buzelis increased their ratings by two overall points. Claxton climbed one spot from a 79 overall rating to an 80. Powell stayed the same at 84 overall, but his rating is still a significant increase from NBA 2K25 two years ago, in which he was rated 79 overall as a member of the Clippers.
The Chicago Bulls will open the 2026-27 NBA season on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Toronto Raptors.
