Chicago Bulls rookie forward Caleb Wilson had an official NBA debut to forget, in a miserable 43-point blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old scored 16 points on just .333/.125/.500 shooting splits, along with four rebounds, three steals, and a block, while logging a game-worst -45 plus-minus. That stat set an unfortunate new rookie record.
As the Sporting News’ Steph Noh details in a typically excellent appraisal, Wilson’s handle (he had nine turnovers) and the aforementioned poor shooting were the biggest issues. Still, the man did show off some stunning verticality.
One minute on Caleb Wilson's debut. Ballhandling and shooting were bad, way too many turnovers (9), but there was some good stuff too when I dove into the film. pic.twitter.com/HnY3uE0QdK
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 22, 2026Does that mean collectors will jump ship and Wilson’s rookie valuations will tank before he has a chance to rehab his value against the lowly Milwaukee Bucks on Friday?
Let’s slow our roll.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg dribbles the ball as San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson.Did Caleb Wilson Just Spoil His Card Market?
If we rewind a year, you’ll see that Dallas Mavericks power forward Cooper Flagg, the eventual 2025-26 Rookie of the Year, had a similarly uninspiring debut. In a 125-92 opening-game loss to then-rookie guard Dylan Harper’s San Antonio Spurs, Flagg scored just 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 free throw shooting, while pulling down 10 rebounds and swiping a steal. He also notched a similarly lackluster -29 plus-minus. Like Wilson, Flagg was playing against a defense-first title contender, which certainly hurt his output.
Plus-minus stats can be somewhat noisy, and cluttered by the quality of teammates. Still, it’s never a good thing when a player can’t elevate the play of his colleagues — albeit understandable in a Game 1.
Flagg recovered, going on to average 21 points on 46.8 percent field goal shooting and 82.7 percent free throw shooting, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 70 healthy games. Most memorably, he notched a 50-piece near the tail end of the season.
51 POINTS FOR COOPER FLAGG.FIRST TEENAGER TO SCORE 50 IN AN NBA GAME ? pic.twitter.com/kaZiyOTczI
— NBA (@NBA) April 4, 2026He earned ROTY over Harper, Charlotte Hornets small forward Kon Knueppel, and Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard V.J. Edgecombe — who all still have All-NBA upside.
Flagg’s card market arc has actually dropped off a bit from the heady days before his first official NBA action on Oct. 23, 2025. But Dylan Harper’s shifting value could be more instructive. Like Wilson, he was not the top pick (Harper went No. 2 out of Rutgers). Unlike Wilson, he benefitted from building out his value on a great, win-now Spurs team that picked up steam throughout the season.
Spurs guard Dylan Harper’s evolving card market since his rookie debut, via Card Ladder.So if skittish collectors want to hop off the train preemptively, don’t panic: let them. History shows us patience is a virtue.
Wilson is starting — and playing big minutes — on a pretty bad Bulls squad. He’ll get plenty of touches and plenty of opportunities to redeem his tough night. His two most exciting teammates, forward Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey, may never reach their All-Star upsides alongside him. Wilson boasts the size, speed, agility, and discipline to become an All-NBA-caliber talent.
This is just the beginning. Assuming Wilson does rehabilitate his value this season, one key artifact from his first regular season contest could pay off in a big way…
Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead drives against Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson.The NBA Debut Patch Market Has Exploded — Just in Time for Caleb Collectors!
The NBA, of course, has made a whole to-do about first-round rookie draft picks’ opening nights. Players now wear an exclusive patch commemorating the event, and afterwards affix it to a one-of-one Topps card. The Debut Patch cards do not go directly into packs, but a placeholder redemption card with a unique code does. That will help the lucky winner avoid any wear and tear on what could be a multi-million dollar card.
Three top rookie draft picks all shattered the prior extant record for a Debut Patch sale, per Larry Holder of The Athletic. 2025 No. 1 pick — and ’26 Rookie of the Year — Cooper Flagg’s Debut Patch reigned supreme at an $8.04 million sticker price.
It’s essentially an investment in the Dallas Mavericks superstar-in-waiting’s ceiling. The sale of his Debut Patch RC outperformed Harper’s $2.88 million sale and Knueppel’s $2.34 million tally, both of whom also bested the previous record, three-time All-Star Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes’ $1.11 million Debut Patch sale, set last year.
Trailing that trio in a distant fourth place among known NBA player sales (tied for 10th-most overall, across sports) is New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen, whose Debut Patch fetched $162K at auction.
Washington Wizards small forward AJ Dybantsa, Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson, Memphis Grizzlies power forward Cameron Boozer, and Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Keaton Wagler are the other rookies selected in the top five of last year’s draft, along with No. 4 pick Wilson. Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer are seen as Wilson’s top competition for what should be a formidable Rookie of the Year race.
If Wilson is in the thick of the hunt, his Debut Patch card should fetch major value at auction next year. It’s unfair to expect him to win ROTY against such a talented field, but whoever does could see their card sell for, yes, eight figures. Regardless, general Wilson RC’s should still have massive value.
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