Derrick Rose Watched From Courtside. Caleb Wilson Gave Him Something to See.

The Chicago Bulls closed their preseason slate on Friday night at the United Center with a 133-116 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the building got both halves of its basketball identity in one sitting. Derrick Rose sat courtside, warmly received by a fanbase that has never really let him go. And on the floor, Caleb Wilson — the No. 4 pick in the 2026 draft — put on the kind of display that made the evening feel less like an exhibition and more like a first look at the next chapter.

That framing is not just sentiment. The Bulls have spent a decade trapped between 35 and 40 wins, unwilling to fully commit to a direction. This offseason they finally picked one. Executive VP Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley were fired in April; Bryson Graham's front office took over, retained Billy Donovan, and built around youth — Wilson at No. 4, Dailyn Swain at No. 15. Rose met both rookies at training camp in September. Friday, he watched one of them headline the finale.

The preseason was genuinely good

Chicago also handled Milwaukee 125-104 earlier in the week, handing the Bucks a third preseason loss. A 2-0 close with 125 and 133 points is the kind of signal a rebuilding team wants, especially one that finished second in the league in pace (102.3) last season while getting shredded defensively.

The caveat matters. Minnesota's own coverage noted most of Friday's floor time was Timberwolves backups against Bulls rotation players — a "bullpen game" in the words of Canis Hoopus. Preseason scoring totals against deep benches are the least predictive numbers in the sport. What travels is the role clarity: Wilson as the offensive centerpiece, Swain as a secondary creator, and a pace-and-space shell that fits Donovan's preferences.

The market sees a long year — and that's fine

BetMGM lists Chicago's season win total at 29.5 with both sides at -110, and championship odds at 75,000. That's the pricing of a team that went 31-51 a year ago with a minus-5.2 point differential, 22nd in defensive rating (118.3) and 51 losses. The roster is young, the front office is new, and the standings are unlikely to be kind.

The individual market is more bullish on Wilson specifically: +250 for Rookie of the Year, an implied probability around 28.6%. That's a meaningful endorsement of his role and workload — rookies win that award by getting shots, and Wilson will get them.

Three things that decide whether this season is progress

Defense. This is the mandate. The Bulls were 22nd in defensive rating last year and gave up 121.5 points per game. A rebuild that only outruns people teaches bad habits; Donovan's staff has been explicit that the defensive end is where respect gets earned. Jordan Brink's player-development hire points the same direction.

Josh Giddey's efficiency. Giddey averaged 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists over 54 games in 2025, but the last ten games told a different story: 13.0 points on 38.5% shooting and 27.9% from three, with 10.6 assists. The playmaking is real. The shot selection and the contract question are not settled, and how the Bulls handle both shapes the timeline.

Matas Buzelis's leap. Buzelis put up 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks across 77 games as a 29-minute starter. If he takes a step alongside Wilson, Chicago suddenly has two young forwards who can share the floor — the difference between a rebuild and a rerun.

The real evaluation starts October 21 at Toronto, with a trip to Milwaukee on the 23rd and the home opener against Washington on the 24th. Rose's presence Friday was a reminder of what a homegrown superstar looks like in this building. Wilson's job is to make that feel like a preview rather than a eulogy.