The Chicago Bulls undoubtedly want Caleb Wilson to be the savior. After all, he isn't the No. 4 pick for nothing, and he brings a vast skill set to the table.

The NBA preseason is the perfect place to see whether Wilson could be the best thing since life spread. However, with that comes natural growing pains befitting a youngster with unquestioned potential.

On Friday, the Bulls fell to the Memphis Grizzlies in their 2nd preseason game, 104-100. The game went in opposite directions in both halves. The Grizzlies controlled the 1st; the Bulls controlled the 2nd.

Wilson was a major catalyst for that switch in the second half after going scoreless in the first. He went on an offensive tear, finishing with a team-high 21 points and going 7-for-17 from the field. He also knocked down 5 3-pointers and grabbed 4 rebounds.

The game went back and forth, with everything coming down to the final minutes. Head coach Tiago Splitter kept Wilson in, along with four reserve players. With 55.2 seconds left, Wilson hit a crucial 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two, 102-100.

Caleb Wilson DRILLS the three to trim the Grizzlies' lead to just 2 points 🎯 pic.twitter.com/dDUAPUFwJz

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 10, 2026

Wilson remained in the game and had a chance to come away the hero with a 3-point attempt in the final seconds. However, he missed the shot, and Chicago was forced to foul with 0.7 seconds left. Javon Small knocked down both free throws to give the Grizzlies the win.

After the game, Splitter explained why he kept Wilson in.

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“Get experience, getting minutes, getting touches,” Splitter said to Sam Smith of NBA.com. “I think it's important for him.”

The Bulls will play their next preseason game on the road against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, October 11.