Caleb Wilson Rookie Card Primer: The Bulls’ No. 4 Pick Meets the New Topps NBA Era

Caleb Wilson Rookie Card: Bulls No. 4 Pick Meets Topps Era

Caleb Wilson Rookie Card Primer: The Bulls’ No. 4 Pick Meets the New Topps NBA Era

Aug 28, 2026
Aug 28, 2026
Collectibles
Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn ImagesChicago Bulls 2026 NBA Draft first round pick Caleb Wilson reacts after throwing out a ceremonial first pitch. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Our Chicago Bulls sure seem to have lucked into a keeper with super-athlete Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of North Carolina.

A wrist injury robbed fans of seeing what Wilson could do for the Tar Heels during March Madness this year, but he already submitted an exciting one-and-done collegiate season anyway, averaging 19.8 points on 57.8 percent field goal shooting and 71.3 percent free throw shooting, plus 9.4 boards, 2.7 dimes, 1.5 swipes, and 1.4 blocks a night.

The 20-year-old then emerged as one of the most exciting Summer League stars, exhibiting a shockingly improved 3-point range. On an otherwise-terrible 1-4 Summer League squad (prove us wrong, Dailyn Swain), Wilson averaged 23.5 points on .500/.419/.333 shooting splits, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.8 assists (against 5.2 turnovers, but he won’t handle the rock in the NBA nearly as much as he did in Summer League), and 1.2 steals a night. That free throw shooting rate is mildly concerning, but keep in mind that players were only permitted to shoot a single free throw and have that count for all of their charity stripe takes in a given penalty.

Now that Topps holds the NBA license, Wilson’s first rookie cards land?

Rookie of the Year Precedents

How high Wilson flies on the card market could be dictated by his profile. If he becomes a Rookie of the Year contender as is widely expected, you may want to grab your Caleb cards pronto. With Topps taking over NBA card duties, Wilson’s RCs will look slicker than ever.

The reigning Rookie of the Year, Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, led a talented class that also included Charlotte Hornets wing Kon Knueppel, Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard V.J. Edgecombe, and San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper.

Flagg’s 2025 Topps Card is currently valued at $2,199.99— that’s the kind of terrain a Wilson card could approach should he reach that level of output. That value has nearly doubled since the card hit the market, when it was initially valued at $1,198. Flagg boats 17 cards in major circulation, representing a $7.3 million total market cap.

The marketplace for the four biggest standouts from the 2025-26 season could be instructive for Wilson’s range this coming year. While Flagg represents the high end, Edgecombe’s is the floor. At most, his Topps rookie card has sold for $270, per Card Ladder.

Along with his fellow first-rounders, Wilson’s 2026 Topps NOW NBA Draft card commemorates the very moment he was selected by Chicago in June. Following the draft, players signed special, one-of-one instant cards with “My 1st NBA Auto” also inscribed.

As for his eventual Topps rookie card, it sure seems new Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter will give Wilson a wide runway to log major minutes as Chicago’s Day 1 starting four.

How Wilson’s Rookie Season Can Impact His Topps Cards’ Value

Wilson won’t be showcased much for non-League Pass fans to start, unfortunately. Chicago has only been granted three national game broadcasts this season.

Still, the NBA is very much a highlight-friendly league (I’d dispute the Adam Silver claim that it is a “highlight league” only, but certainly a given night’s best moments can often go viral), and Wilson should be a fantastic lob threat for pass-happy Bulls starting point guard Josh Giddey. Should he become one of the NBA’s top-scoring rookies and look as great during the regular season as he did in Summer League, his card value should shoot through the roof.

No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa and No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer both seem likely to give Wilson a run for his money in counting stats (No. 2 selection Darryn Peterson may need to spread the wealth more on a more talented Utah Jazz team) when it comes to Rookie of the Year contention, but so long as Wilson puts up big numbers and cashes in on his potential, collectors should be able to cash in on his Topps cards.

As a top-five rookie draft pick who’ll get significant run, Wilson projects to have massive demand early anyway. Provided he delivers, that number will only go up. If he becomes the 2026 Rookie of the Year averaging 20-plus points with a highlight-heavy game, look for a Flagg-level market.

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Alex Kirschenbaum has been a Chicago Bulls fan since before he was sentient or had object permanence. Beyond Bleacher Nation, he has also written for Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Hoops Rumors, Trailers From Hell, Men’s Journal, and Bulls fan sites Blog-A-Bull and Pippen Ain’t Easy, among others.. Alex is pretty sure that MJ did not push off Bryon Russell — and that Utah fans need to accept that.