Chicago Bulls Struggle in NBA 2K27 Rookie Ratings
The Chicago Bulls' rookies face a tough challenge in NBA 2K27, with Caleb Wilson and Yaxel Lendeborg receiving lower ratings than expected. The team's performance in the Summer League and NBA Draft order are discussed.
The NBA season is creeping closer, with the unveiling of Christmas games and team schedules to arrive in the coming days. This means it's the beginning of another cycle for NBA 2K. To count down to the game's Sept. 4 release, 2K released the top-10 rookies in the game.
What happened?
While the top-10 rookies in NBA 2K27 may look similar to the NBA Draft order, some things stand out. The top three picks, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer, all sit at 79 overall. Unsurprisingly, the trio was the first three picks of the draft.
However, Caleb Wilson, the fourth overall pick of the Chicago Bulls, has been punched into a sort of tier of his own, sitting at a 77 overall. This is two overall points ahead of fifth and two below the top three. Wilson had buzz to go in the top three and is certainly capable of playing at a similar level to Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer.
Why it matters for Chicago Bulls
Against Boozer's Memphis Grizzlies, Wilson scored 35 points, the most points in a Summer League debut. He was fifth in scoring, averaging 23.5 points a game. Wilson was exceptional shooting the ball as well, posting a 50% from the field and a blistering 41.9% from three. His scoring marks were better than the top three, outside of Dybantsa's 25 points per game.
What comes next?
The only switch-up on the draft order came in the sixth and seventh positions. The two were a heavily debated topic at the draft and remain one on NBA 2K. Darius Acuff Jr. slots in at the sixth position with a 75 overall. Not much split the two, with Brown Jr. coming in at a 74 overall.
At Summer League, the two remained in a similar boat. Both of their scoring outputs were solid, with Acuff Jr. winning that duel with 19 points a game to Brown Jr.'s 16.7. But they struggled to score efficiently, both shooting below 40% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc.
Recent Form
The Chicago Bulls are struggling in recent form, with a 2-3 record in their last 5 games. They lost their last two games, including a 149-128 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks on April 13, 2026.
Yaxel Lendeborg Doesn't Make List
The Summer League MVP and 11th pick in the NBA Draft did not make the cut of 2K27's top rookies. Lendeborg, 23, doesn't have the flair the top rookies in the class have, but through his experience, showed he can adjust to the NBA pretty quickly.
Lendeborg was more than his stats showed, averaging just 14.8 points and a little under 7 rebounds a game. He was the leader of a Golden State team that cut down the nets at the end. Granted, it's hard to put leadership into 2K abilities, and the Summer League is a small sample size to go off of.
But maybe the slight to both Wilson and Lendeborg's summer performances can provide some bulletin board material.
