The Chicago Bulls are in the early stages of a rebuild, and they have so far hitched their wagon to two dynamic young players in first-round picks Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 selection this year, and Matas Buzelis, whom they took 11th overall in 2025.
However, the pairing has created questions about chemistry between the two forwards.
Not only did Buzelis push back on the implication that there could be any friction between the two, but Wilson confirmed as much shortly after.
Bulls’ Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis Push Back Against Friction Question
GettyMatas Buzelis is not worried about sharing the floor with Chicago Bulls teammate Caleb Wilson.
During the “Mully & Haugh” show on 104.3 The Score, host Ruthie Polinsky questioned the fit between the two leading personalities on the Bulls’ roster, Buzelis and Wilson.
Polisky believes Buzelis in particular will be “very, very interesting” to see this season.
“I think he loves being sort of the face of the future for the Bulls. And if he kind of takes a step back, or if–and I mean a step back away from the spotlight–how will he handle that? How will he take to being second in command to an exciting player like Caleb Wilson?” Polisnky said during the show on July 16.
“Last year, Matas Buzelis was the most exciting player on the Bulls in terms of thinking about them long-term. So, I’m excited to see what, maybe stepping out of the spotlight, will Matas, maybe, thrive in a role where not all eyes are on him. That, I think, is really interesting to me.”
Buzelis said, “It’s a TEAM sport love…” in a post on X on July 17 in response to the comments, adding “we all gonna shine.”
Wilson quoted Buzelis’ post and said, “One goal.”
Polinsky went on to say that she “didn’t really rank them,” but put Wilson and Buzelis ahead of Josh Giddey. Veteran newcomer Norman Powell is the “glue guy.”
There does not seem to be any cause for concern about the two youngsters, though.
Caleb Wilson Continues to Say the Right Things
GettyCaleb Wilson has delivered on and off the court so far.
Buzelis and Wilson are both showing maturity beyond their years. That is true of their handling of their situation and in interactions with the media.
Wilson’s efforts in that regard have drawn attention all offseason. He downplayed his historic outburst in his Summer League debut. He also pushed to play in four of the Bulls’ five games during his first action as a Bull.
“No place id rather be [Bull emoji],” Wilson posted on Instagram on July 17.
He included several images from Summer League. There was even one from his postgame thanking teammates Donovan Atwell and Jaylin Sellers after beating the Washington Wizards.
Wilson insisted his two fellow rookies helped bail him out and lead the Bulls to victory in the contest. That further underscores a leadership quality that belies his rookie status. The soon-to-be-20-year-old (July 18) appears to have the “it” factor teams seek in top picks.
His next challenge will come during the preseason and figures to be far more difficult.
Of course, Wilson will have Buzelis–and Giddey and Powell, etc.–to take the pressure off him. They can outright take the lead on the floor while he gets acclimated to the league.
Once he does, though, the Bulls have every reason to get excited that Wilson can be exactly the player that he was billed as at North Carolina–the Bulls certainly know something about that–and during the pre-draft process.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Caleb Wilson Responds After Matas Buzelis Gets Honest About Role With Bulls appeared first on HEAVY.