There has been hope about previous Bulls draft picks in the last 18 years.
Plenty of it.
Hope that Doug McDermott was worth trading for with the Nuggets on draft night in 2014. Hope that Bobby Portis, whom the Bulls selected the next year, would turn into the next Joakim Noah. Heck, there was even initial excitement after the Bulls drafted Denzel Valentine at No. 14 in 2016 and, a month later, he made the game-winning basket in the Summer League championship game.
Wendell Carter, Chandler Hutchison, Patrick Williams at No. 4 overall in 2020 . . . hope, hope, hope.
Sometimes the gut punch was immediate, such as when it was obvious Marquis Teague (2012) was not a legitimate NBA player a few months into his rookie season. Other times, it was a slow burn, such as the former front office continuing to remind everyone Williams was only 18, then 19, then 20.
Be patient.
That’s why the Caleb Wilson experience feels different. Sure, there’s hope surrounding the rookie out of North Carolina, but there’s also building momentum of certainty — a certainty not felt since the Bulls selected Derrick Rose No. 1 overall 18 years ago.
And it’s not just local hype or Bulls messaging, either. It’s nationally, with other executives and NBA coaches acknowledging Wilson’s rise to stardom feels inevitable.
That’s why all eyes will be on the Bulls on Wednesday night, when Wilson and his teammates tip off the 2026-27 regular season against the Raptors in Toronto.
‘‘I’m just really excited for the opportunity to play,’’ Wilson said of his pending debut. ‘‘I mean, I’ve been waiting on this opportunity my whole life, and it’s finally here. So just really a lot of excitement.’’
Bulls fans have been waiting almost as long for a player like this.
And the good news throughout the summer, into training camp and in the preseason games is that Wilson not only talks about chasing greatness, but he embraces what it will take to get there with a work ethic not seen in many 20-year-olds.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham has seen that for months. Graham admitted that any time he has been in the Advocate Center at night, he can hear a bouncing ball and music. Those are two sure signs Wilson is getting in extra shots.
For Wilson, however, it’s just what you do in pursuit of lofty goals.
‘‘I feel like I’m prepared for the moment and the opportunity,’’ Wilson said. ‘‘It’s just a matter of going out there and showing what I can do.’’
And he’s not the only player offering hope to the Bulls’ fan base, either. While Wilson feels like the headliner, Matas Buzelis has a chance to be a heck of an opening act entering his third season.
There’s a real possibility the Bulls will be a mere 30-victory team. But if Buzelis and Wilson prove they can average 20 points and 10 points and look like foundation pieces for this rebuild, the Bulls can call it a very successful season.
The first step comes against the Raptors, with coach Tiago Splitter trying to temper the hype.
‘‘Caleb has a tower of things on his mind right now, you know,’’ Splitter said. ‘‘First NBA game, how we play on offense, how we play on defense — there’s a lot of things going on, and sometimes you’ve just got to relax a little bit and just go out and hoop. Slowly, he’ll get those things better.
‘‘I just want to see them enjoying and competing every night, and that’s all I can ask.’’
NOTE: The Bulls announced they picked up their contract options on forwards Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue. Buzelis is set to become a restricted free agent in 2028 and will be eligible for an extension next summer.