Chicago’s preseason slate brings a familiar matchup back to the floor tonight: Memphis forward Cameron Boozer against Bulls forward Caleb Wilson, two top-four picks from the 2026 NBA Draft whose meetings have already produced an AAU title, a Tobacco Road finish and a one-point Summer League game.
| Player | Preseason production | Recent head-to-head highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Boozer, Grizzlies | 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists in two games | 23 points, 6 rebounds in Memphis’ 97-96 Summer League win |
| Caleb Wilson, Bulls | 15 points in Chicago’s preseason-opening win | 35 points; 7-for-11 from 3 in Summer League loss |
Another chapter in Chicago
The Grizzlies visit the Bulls at 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV, putting Boozer and Wilson in the same building again after their rivalry followed them from high school basketball into the league.
Before the individual matchups, they were teammates. Boozer and Wilson helped Nightrydas Elite win the 2024 Nike EYBL Peach Jam championship on the AAU circuit.
They became opponents in college, with Wilson’s North Carolina team beating Boozer and Duke 71-68 on Feb. 7. Wilson scored 23 points in that game, while Boozer logged 24 points and 11 rebounds. North Carolina won on a shot at the horn.
The rematch arrived quickly in Las Vegas. Boozer’s 23 points and six boards helped Memphis edge Chicago 97-96 on July 10, though Wilson nearly stole the game with consecutive late 3-pointers. Wilson finished with 35 points and made seven of 11 attempts from beyond the arc. Both rookies later landed on the 2026 All-Summer League First Team.
“There’s a lot of respect there for each other,” Boozer said. “Every time we’re on the court we compete, and we’re cool off the court.”
Wilson described the same edge from the other side, calling Boozer “a great player” and noting that the two exchange words while competing. He pointed to a difficult Boozer fadeaway over him as part of a game where both players “really played and got after it.”
Boozer’s playmaking has traveled
Memphis opened preseason 1-1, and Boozer has brought more than scoring to the frontcourt. His 13.5-point, 6.0-rebound, 4.0-assist line includes a 16-point performance Wednesday, with the ball increasingly moving through the 6-foot-10 rookie.
Veteran guard Ty Jerome saw that immediately after the preseason opener.
“The poise he has at that age is just huge,” Jerome said. “Him being able to dribble, pass, and shoot next to me, it’s like I got another point guard next to me, almost at 6-foot-10.”
Wilson gave Chicago an early scoring jolt Wednesday, leading the Bulls with 15 points in a 124-117 preseason victory over Phoenix. For the rookie, simply stepping into the Bulls environment carried its own weight.
“Wild being in the NBA and having my uniform on,” Wilson said after the win. “Hearing that Sirius song was wild; watched The Last Dance, watched all those shows. Just seeing and feeling it for yourself is quite crazy.”
Tonight offers another live test for both young forwards: Boozer’s all-around control against Wilson’s scoring pop, with a rivalry that has already moved through several basketball stops and has not needed much time to find its NBA footing.
