Chicago Bulls lead front office executive, Bryson Graham, wasted no time in re-designing the franchise’s front-court rotation. Monday, the Bulls acquired center Nic Claxton in a three-team trade with the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
24 hours later, the fervent 2026 NBA Draft anticipation for the Bulls' top draft selection, fourth overall, resolved when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the Bulls' selection of North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson.
The combination of Claxton, Wilson, and Bulls forward Matas Buzelis instantly presents an athletic front-court to rival the athleticism of any combination of starting center and forwards over the Bulls' last six seasons.
Claxton and Buzelis are primed to be a no-fly zone for any opposing offense that attempts to attack the rim against the Bulls' defense. Nic Claxton and Buzelis finished top-15 in the NBA block rate rankings during the 2025-26 regular season, according to Basketball Reference.
Wilson’s length at a height of 6’9” and a wing span of 7’0’ augments what should be a fierce switching coverage that the Bulls can deploy against opposing ball-screen actions, and he notched a healthy 4.4% block rate of his own for the Tar Heels during the 2025-26 NCAA men's basketball season.
UNC's Caleb Wilson measured 6'9.25 barefoot and 211 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, with a 7'0.25 wingspan and 9'0 standing reach.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 11, 2026
Wilson grew an inch and added 6 pounds since our last measurements two years ago. Massive standing reach, but somewhat slight-framed for a big. pic.twitter.com/gMTOeWt337
Ironing out the offensive wrinkles in the new-look Bulls front-court
The immediate concern the Bulls will need to address in training camp and likely throughout the 2026-27 NBA season is the spacing considerations of Claxton and Wilson sharing the floor as two non-shooters. Claxton is an NBA career 18.6% three-point shooter, and Wilson’s lone freshman NCAA men’s basketball season at North Carolina logged a less-than-desirable 25.9% from the three-point line.
Zooming out further and considering Buzelis is an NBA career 35.3% three-point shooter, and presumed Bulls starting point guard Josh Giddey is effectively a slightly-above league average three-point shooter in his Bulls career at 37.1% from the three-point line, the Bulls likely won’t be able to assert an offensive advantage from the three-point line in their Claxton-Wilson-Buzelis-Giddey lineups.
It will be imperative for the Bulls to project a strong and consistent downhill attack in their offense to pressure opposing defenses at the rim, and that should be a strength for Claxton as a screener and Buzelis as a driver off screens.
Josh Giddey made a concerted effort to be a more aggressive driver to the rim in his second Bulls season, the 2025-26 NBA season, and made good progress on that front, converting 59.4% of field goals 0-3 feet from the rim, compared to 58.4% during the 2024-25 NBA season, according to Basketball Reference.
Overall, the Bulls front-court transformation should instantly improve the defensive abilities of the roster, and at the same time, Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter will need to be meticulous in designing offensive principles that ensure the Bulls can get quality shot attempts despite the spacing limitations in the roster.
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