Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson will have surgery on his fractured right hand and miss four to six weeks, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.
Wilson injured his hand during the third quarter of Wednesday's 124-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs when he tried to knock the ball out of Victor Wembanyama's hands. Wilson did not finish the game. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday.
Wilson, the No. 4 pick in the 2026 draft, had been one of the bright spots for the Bulls during a 1-9 start. The 20-year-old rookie was averaging 18.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 42% shooting in his first 10 games.
Chicago underwent a franchise overhaul over the summer, hiring Bryson Graham as the team's new lead executive and Tiago Splitter as its new head coach. But Wilson was drafted to be the franchise's face on the court. Much of Chicago's offense already ran through their first-year player. Wilson ranked second on the team in scoring (behind veteran guard Norman Powell), but first in shot attempts (16.2) while adding 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.
During his lone season at North Carolina, Wilson missed the NCAA tournament after he required surgery to repair a broken right thumb. He also missed six games in college with a broken bone in his left hand.
The Bulls own the league's worst net rating at minus 15.1 and now are facing an extended absence from their top prospect. Chicago will host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.