The Chicago Bulls need a point guard to set Caleb Wilson up, and Josh Giddey has to become that player if he wants to stick with the franchise. Giddey has three years and $75 million remaining on his contract, but Chicago shifted their focus the moment they drafted Wilson. It should be all about turning the 20-year-old forward into a superstar. If Giddey can’t find Wilson in the right spots, the Bulls need to find a point guard who can.
Wilson is a special talent. Bulls fans saw it during summer league, but that wasn’t the first glimpse. He was a top five player coming out of high school and was extremely productive during his lone season at UNC. The 6’10 forward has already been compared to legends, but he needs help becoming one. Wilson won’t be a lead ball-handler. He is a play finisher with immense two-way potential. It just needs to be unlocked.
Giddey is caught in the middle of a rebuild. The Bulls' building blocks are Wilson and Matas Buzelis, but the 6’7 guard is under contract until 2029. Giddey is about to turn 24. He could become a crucial piece of this core, but only if he enhances Wilson’s game.
Josh Giddey needs to help Caleb Wilson develop
Wilson was elite at scoring at the rim and in transition during his lone college season. The Bulls had the third-fastest pace in the NBA last season, and coach Splitter’s Blazers were in the top ten. Giddey has no problems going quickly and creating easy buckets at the rim.
Giddey’s biggest assist to Wilson could be helping him improve his jumper. The Bulls point guard shot 26.3 percent from 3-point range as a rookie and has made 37.1 percent in his two seasons in Chicago. It was one of the biggest knocks on Giddey before he joined the Bulls. Now, the 6’7 guard is above league average and keeps increasing his volume.
Wilson went seven of 27 from 3-point range in college. He took just over one attempt per game and connected at 25.9 percent. The Bulls need him to become a league-average marksman if they want him to reach his immense potential. Giddey knows a thing or two about improving his jumper.
Giddey is entering his sixth season. He needs to help the rookie grow while working on the biggest weakness in his game.
Josh Giddey must improve on the defensive end
The Bulls were 22nd in defensive rating last season and significantly worse with Giddey on the floor. They clocked in at 119.3 and were 2.8 points per 100 possessions better when he went to the bench. This has followed him from OKC. Giddey is too ball-dominant and gets exploited defensively.
Giddey is 6’7. He has the size to guard multiple positions and has created more turnovers since joining the Bulls. Coach Splitter needs to get Giddey locked in on a system that mitigates his weaknesses. Chicago has to play league-average defense if they want to contend. If Giddey can’t help, he won’t remain on the Bulls.
Wilson has elite defensive upside and is already saying all the right things. He needs to help Giddey on this end as much as the point guard boosts him on offense.
Josh Giddey needs to form a dominant two-man game with Caleb Wilson
Giddey locks himself in if he forms a dominant duo with Wilson. Look at Jamal Murray on the Nuggets. He just made his first All-Star team in his tenth NBA season, but Denver has never thought about trading him because of his two-man game with Nikola Jokic. Giddey needs to be Wilson’s version of Murray.
Giddey fits with Wilson if he buys into maximizing the youngster. He didn’t fit next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in Oklahoma City, so the Thunder traded him. The Bulls clearly believe Giddey will keep improving. He has already fixed his jumper. Now, he needs to improve his defense and focus on making Wilson a star.
The Chicago Bulls are a rebuilding squad trying to figure things out. They want Caleb Wilson to be their alpha. The key to becoming a long-term piece is fitting around him. Josh Giddey could help him thrive and lock himself in. He needs to stop chasing triple-doubles and focus on making winning plays. That will maximize Wilson and help the Bulls get back to their glory days.
The pressure is on Giddey. He needs to prove he can be a winning player, and maximizing the number four overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft would be a great start. It is time to do it. Giddey is entering his prime and must change the narrative. The Bulls are giving him the chance, and another failure will tank his market value.
Either way, Chicago has to move on if the guard is stunting Wilson’s growth. The ball is in Giddey’s court to earn his spot.
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