Why the Bulls won’t keep Caleb Wilson on a short leash during his rookie season

The Bulls might give their young players some slack this season.

That’s what a rebuilding season is for, after all. The Bulls are going all-in on the roster’s youngest players after overhauling the front office at the end of the 2025-26 season. And with No. 4 draft pick Caleb Wilson headlining this young core, the Bulls are more focused on growth than results this season — a fact that will alter the team’s approach to player development.

In prior years, young players such as Matas Buzelis often played within strict constraints under former coach Billy Donovan. But Wilson will receive a different introduction to the league with new coach Tiago Splitter, who does not believe in utilizing a “short leash” approach to hold rookies accountable.

New executive vice president Bryson Graham echoed this ethos, emphasizing that the Bulls will use the upcoming rebuilding year to balance accountability and freedom for players such as Wilson and Buzelis.

“We have to be OK with giving him grace throughout this year because he’s going to have some ups and downs,” Graham said of Wilson. “There’s going to be some progress and then there’s going to be some regression. But are we going to be like, ‘Oh, Caleb, get out of the game, you turned the ball over’? No. That’s where we’re at. That’s the building phase.”

Splitter acknowledged that many conceptions of youth development seem to reflect a model of giving a player wide swaths of playing time to suffer or succeed on his own. He doesn’t want to take that simplistic approach in Chicago.

Splitter believes young players often can learn more on the bench than on the court by dissecting their mistakes, watching the action from a different vantage point and taking time to process areas of growth. But he also doesn’t want to limit Wilson’s development by yanking him off the court every time he makes a mistake.

“If we’ve been talking and trying to work on turnovers and he got four in a row — well, you’re going to sit here with me for a little bit and we’ll talk,” Splitter said with a laugh.

Striking the right balance will require patience from Splitter and a strong relationship between player and coach. Both feel confident in the early stages of building that relationship. Wilson appreciates Splitter’s brand of honesty, a direct communication style that provides the rookie with constant feedback.

“I don’t care if you have to tell me five words or 35 words to tell me what I need to do,” Wilson said. “As long as I know, I’m going to go out there and do it.”

Graham, meanwhile, feels buoyed by Wilson’s persistent hunger to work and learn despite the loftiness provided by his talent and early fame.

“His work ethic is out of the roof,” Splitter said.

If Graham is wrapping meetings after 7 p.m. at the Advocate Center, he knows to expect the sound of music pouring out of the gym, where Wilson will be logging another late-night workout with teammates such as veteran Norman Powell. Graham often reminds Splitter they need to protect Wilson from himself, acknowledging the rookie’s tendency to overwork.

For the latter half of the summer, Wilson mostly focused on strength training and conditioning. He also wants to hone his jump shot and other skills. But during the dog days of the offseason, he was more worried about his ability to outlast the “rookie wall,” an obstacle that many first-year players run smack into during the final three months of the lengthy NBA season.

Physicality is essential to a rookie’s ability to compete against NBA players for the first time. Graham said Wilson stands eye to eye with Splitter, a former post player who measures a little over 6-foot-10. A built-out frame would benefit the 20-year-old forward, who will match up against NBA players for the first time in a few weeks.

Wilson isn’t setting any statistical goals for himself this season. He wants to make the All-Rookie team and win Rookie of the Year. But he is trying to teach himself to emphasize process over outcome, part of a mentality shift that has been influenced by his newfound appreciation for the teachings of stoicism.

For Wilson, the key to this stage of his process is trust — from his team, from his coaches and, ultimately, from himself.

“I just need someone who believes in me, an organization that believes in me,” Wilson said. “If you believe in me (and) give me an opportunity to grow and make mistakes, I’m going to get better. And once I get better, you won’t regret it.

“That’s all I really need. I don’t need much. I’m a simple guy.”