Caleb Wilson wanted to be a Bull.
With the No. 4 overall pick in Tuesday’s first round of the NBA Draft, the Bulls made it very clear that the feeling was mutual.
The Bulls selected the North Carolina product – all 6-10 of him – truly tipping of the Bryson Graham Era, as the executive vice president of basketball operations has added an elite athlete who will instantly changes the defensive end of the floor with his ability to protect the rim and rebound.
Not that landing Wilson was a surprise at four, considering the top four players went as scripted.
Since the college season ended and Washington hit draft lottery gold by grabbing the top spot, the Wizards were linked to BYU standout AJ Dybantsa. There was a bit of drama the last week when Kansas guard Darryn Peterson refused to work out for anyone except the Wizards, almost daring them to pass on him, but over the weekend he accepted a visit from the Jazz and met with their brass.
Just like that the bridge was fixed and Utah grabbed their guy at No. 2.
With Peterson gone, the overwhelming No. 3 on most boards was power forward Cameron Boozer and that’s where Memphis went, landing the son of one-time Bull Carlos Boozer.
That left the Bulls again hoping Tar Heel baby blue would change the organization’s fortunes, as Wilson was the no-brainer at No. 4 of one of the deeper draft classes in decades.
Good news for the league, and even better for the Eastern Conference, who will have new blood in Dybantsa and Wilson.
But it’s a move made 24 hours earlier with the old guard that could determine the East next season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors were swirling for over a year now, and late Monday night Milwaukee finally pulled the trigger on a deal with Miami, sending the 2021 Finals MVP to South Beach – along with one-time Bull Bobby Portis – while the Bucks got back a haul that included All-Star Tyler Herro, and young prospects Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis.
Did the deal make either team a threat to the New York Knicks? Unlikely, but it undoubtedly changed the landscape in the East.
Not the only trade made on draft eve, either.
Graham insisted on the day the Reinsdorfs hired him that he was going to be creative with the $50-plus million cap space he was inheriting, and that he was using some of the money for trade capital. In a three-way deal with Brooklyn and Minnesota, the Bulls acquired center Nic Claxton from the Nets, sending Mo Gueye to Minnesota. All-Star Julius Randle went to Brooklyn, as it proved to be a salary dump for the Timberwolves.
Salary they wasted no time reallocating, inking former Bull Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million extension.
As for Claxton and the Bulls, the center cupboard was bare with Zach Collins and Nick Richards headed into free agency, and the roster had been looking for rim protection for years. Back in the 2022-23 season, Claxton looked like he was the next great rim patroller, finishing with 2.5 blocks per game that year.
The problem is his numbers have slipped since then in both rebounding and blocked shots.
Was it his back issues or just a malaise in the motivation department?
The hope is both issues are behind him now and the Bulls have landed an active athletic presence to a frontcourt that suddenly has length and an above-the-rim mentality.