Chicago Bulls Season Opener: Caleb Wilson Era Begins in Toronto Without Nic Claxton

The Chicago Bulls season opener arrives Wednesday night in Toronto, and it doubles as the first regular-season look at rookie Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 pick in this year's draft. The Bulls visit the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena at 7:30 p.m. ET, and they will do it without center Nic Claxton, who is listed out with a hamstring injury in the Associated Press' game preview. For a franchise that went 31-51 last season, the night is less about the final score than about what the next era is going to look like.

This preview is built from published reports, league data and official team information. Remix Sports Media did not attend practices or interviews for this story, and analysis is labeled as our own.

Chicago Bulls Season Opener: What to Know Before Tip-Off

• Matchup: Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors, season opener for both teams

• Time and place: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. ET, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto

• How to watch: CHSN and Sportsnet, according to FanDuel Research's game info

• The line: Toronto is a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 236.5, per the AP

• Bulls injury: Nic Claxton (hamstring) is out. The AP lists no injuries for the Raptors.

The Bulls finished 12th in the Eastern Conference last season and went just 19-32 against East opponents, per the AP. Toronto went 46-36 and 33-19 in the conference. Yahoo Sports' preseason preview slotted Chicago 25th in its power rankings with a win total of 29.5, so the underdog label is no surprise.

Caleb Wilson's NBA Debut Comes With a Heavy Matchup

Wilson's rookie introduction is hard to script any gentler. According to the Chicago Tribune's debut-day story, Toronto brings Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes, two oversized forwards who will test the 20-year-old right away. Wilson told the paper he modeled his game after Leonard growing up and studied Barnes' development as a roadmap.

The preseason gave Bulls fans a mixed picture. The Tribune's preseason takeaways described a player who sank confident threes and threw down dunks, but who also floundered on screens away from the ball and made some poor decisions with it. Wilson's own read was calm: he said he expects mistakes and wants to give himself grace as a rookie.

Coach Tiago Splitter said he mostly wants to see Wilson competing and enjoying himself. The Tribune also reports Wilson's early focus is learning NBA-level defense, which matters even more with Claxton sidelined.

How the Bulls Rotation Changes Without Nic Claxton

Claxton was the Bulls' main summer addition at center, acquired from Brooklyn after averaging 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in 69 games last season, per Hoops Rumors. The Tribune reports he is expected to miss roughly the next two weeks, a stretch that includes games against Boston and New York.

In his place, the Bulls tried both Jalen Smith and Tobe Awaka at the five during the preseason, according to the Tribune. Splitter has also said he plans to use a nine-to-11 player rotation, as reported by Hoops Rumors citing The Athletic's Joel Lorenzi, because the pace Chicago wants to play makes an eight-man group impractical. Zach Collins' absences were also flagged by the Tribune, so depth up front is a genuine question.

One bright spot is forward Leonard Miller, who shot 31-for-50 (62%) from the field in the preseason, according to the Tribune. Preseason numbers come with caveats, since both Milwaukee and Minnesota rested starters late, but Miller's efficiency has put him firmly in the conversation for minutes.

Josh Giddey's Lob Game Meets New Targets

Point guard Josh Giddey averaged 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists last season, per FanDuel Research. He told the Chicago Sun-Times, as relayed by Heavy, that he is excited to play with athletic finishers and expects to throw more lobs than ever. The Ringer ranked him 84th in its top 100 and asked whether he can lift Wilson and Matas Buzelis rather than just fill the box score.

Opening night won't answer that, but it will show whether Chicago's guards can create clean looks for the young forwards when Toronto's length takes away the easy ones.

What Toronto Brings to the Matchup

The Raptors scored 114.6 points per game and allowed 111.8 last season, per the AP. FanDuel Research lists Leonard at 27.9 points per game last year and Barnes at 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists. With no Raptors injuries listed, Chicago will face a full-strength group in a hostile building.

Our Take: What Would Count as a Good Night

The following is analysis from Remix Sports Media, not reporting.

A win would be a bonus. The more useful measure is process. Watch whether Wilson picks his spots instead of forcing shots, whether the Bulls can rebound without a true rim protector, and whether the pace Yahoo's preview called a possible strength in the open floor shows up. That preview also flagged a concern worth tracking: it remains unclear how hard the Bulls will be to guard in the half-court if their creators struggle to shoot off the dribble.

If Chicago stays competitive late and Wilson shows a few real defensive reps, the opener will have done its job. If the Bulls get overwhelmed inside, Splitter's rotation decisions over the next two weeks become the story.

For more on what's happening around the league, read our NBA Opening Night 2026 preview, our 2026-27 season preview on injuries and contenders, and our look at the Knicks, Sixers and the league's biggest storylines.

Sources: Associated Press via Yahoo Sports, Chicago Tribune, Yahoo Sports, Hoops Rumors, FanDuel Research and Heavy. The official @BullsPR account was not accessible to Remix, so no information from it is used here.

Follow Remix Sports Media for continued Chicago Bulls and NBA coverage all season long.