Now a week removed from their first several games, the Chicago Bulls Summer League rookie grades are here for their two draft picks. The two new first-round picks hit the ground running, playing in all but one game, sitting out the finale during the Summer League. Hoping to play significant minutes during the regular season, the rookies had vastly different experiences in Las Vegas. Here are the Chicago Bulls’ Summer League rookie grades.
The fourth overall pick out of the University of North Carolina, Caleb Wilson is praised for his athletic prowess and two-way potential. Chicago did not have to wait long to see his potential and athletic ability after he broke the Summer League rookie debut scoring record with 35 points in his first game. The 35-point performance was the high point of a successful set of games that should leave Bulls fans excited for the regular season.
Continuing his stellar production from North Carolina, Wilson averaged 23.5 points over the four Summer League games while shooting 50% from the field. The forward also showed his rebounding ability, averaging 7.3 per game. On the defensive side of the ball, Wilson averaged 2.5 blocks and 1.3 steals during the games. The biggest surprise from the rookie was his 13 three-pointers made over the four games, far surpassing the seven he made in the entire college season.
While his play in the Summer League was overall very successful, Wilson does have areas to improve moving forward. Oftentimes, he was careless with the basketball, averaging 5.3 turnovers per game against only 1.8 assists. Noted for his physical play, Wilson averaged over six fouls per 48 minutes of action.
Overall Grade: A
Much like new teammate Wilson, Dailyn Swain was a first-round pick due to his athletic ability and upside as a two-way player. Unfortunately, the guard’s Summer League experience was vastly different than his teammate’s, highlighted by rough offensive play. Luckily for Swain, the Summer League is a developmental environment and has given the Bulls a roadmap for his development.
Playing four games during the Summer League, Swain averaged only 1.5 points per game while shooting an abysmal 11.5% from the field. Things only got worse for the former Texas Longhorn as he missed all nine of his three-point shot attempts. Outside of shooting, Swain averaged 1.3 rebounds and .5 assists per game. One positive during his four games played, he averaged only two turnovers, much fewer than the 5.3 average per game of teammate Wilson.
Not everything was all doom and gloom for the rookie, though, as he was dealing with position experimentation. Chicago coach Tiago Splitter gave Swain valuable reps handling the ball as a point guard to expand his court vision. Something not coachable, he was accountable for his poor performances and vowed to embrace any feedback from coaches.
Overall Grade: D
The success that Wilson had during his four games should lead right into a starting role with the Bulls in the regular season. The offensive numbers he put up were too good to ignore, essentially forcing his way into the lineup, which also leads to him receiving the highest of the Chicago Bulls Summer League rookie grades. While an A+ grade would have made sense, his turnover issues prevent him from getting the perfect grade.
On the other side, with the struggles shown by Swain, he seems destined for a backup role in Chicago. While he took reps at point guard during the four games, he projects as a forward for the team in 2026. Due to his weak offensive numbers and disappointing shooting percentage, a grade no higher than a D could be given to the rookie.
Even though the Summer League is only five games long, the Bulls got a small taste of how the rookies fare against some NBA-level competition. For a rebuilding organization like Chicago, having two highly drafted players added to the roster will likely mean regular-season minutes are up for grabs. While Wilson and Swain had wildly different game experiences, they both showcased the athleticism and potential that predicted why they were first-round draft picks.
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