The Chicago Bulls and their fans will be buzzing about Caleb Wilson's performance in the 2K26 NBA Summer League for practically the rest of the offseason— and for good reason.
Wilson flashed everything that fans thought he could be pre-draft, looking fluid in the open court, aggressive getting to the paint and finishing at the basket, and even confident from 3-point range. Across four appearances, Wilson averaged 23.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while knocking down 41.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
His performance has sparked some debate on who will ultimately be Chicago's number one option: Wilson or third-year forward Matas Buzelis?
That is the wrong question to ask at this juncture, however. Both Buzelis and Wilson should be considered the Bulls' long-term cornerstones, and Chicago must figure out how to make them fit together developmentally.
While Wilson continues to grow and improve his ability to create rim pressure, the next area of development for Buzelis is therefore clear. Buzelis needs to improve as a perimeter shooter in order to fully unlock Chicago's frontcourt tandem of the future.
Matas Buzelis needs to become a reliable perimeter shooter in 2026-27
If you're buying Wilson's sudden shooting breakout, great. He was certainly impressive in Summer League, especially in his seven 3-pointer debut against the Los Angeles Lakers. Perhaps there's some upside to be unlocked there as Wilson develops.
But his primary offensive value, for now, is as a rim-runner and a paint presence. In his rookie season at North Carolina, he took a grand total of 27 attempts from beyond the arc, sinking them at a clip of 25.9%. His jumper still looks a bit wonky, and he doesn't look entirely confident as a catch-and-shoot threat.
My point is this— don't gamble on Wilson being a floor-spacer immediately upon his transition to the NBA.
Buzelis, on the other hand, has a clear path to growing in that regard. He shot 36.1% from beyond the arc as a rookie before taking a slight step back in his sophomore campaign. But both of those marks are clear improvements from the 27.35% he shot from 3-point range during his lone season with the G-League Ignite.
Buzelis has also had some hot shooting stretches that inspire confidence in his ability to put up more sustainable numbers. He shot 39.8% from beyond the arc in the month of January this past season before a cold stretch in March and April brought his season-long numbers down into mediocre territory.
The long-term path to pairing Buzelis and Wilson together in the frontcourt depends on Buzelis trending more toward the 37-38% range from beyond the arc. If Buzelis can help space the floor and attack closeouts, he'll create more passing lanes and threaten the defense more directly, leaving room for Wilson to develop on the interior as he continues to fill out his frame.
If both players can become solid perimeter shooters eventually, the Bulls will be spoiled. But in the short-term, they can't afford to utilize both players simply as downhill threats. Buzelis will need to continue to diversify his game in order to accommodate Chicago's newest star.
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