The Next Step for Caleb Grill's NBA Career: The Extra Point

Missouri On SI basketball reporter Killian Wright looks into Caleb Grill's next steps following his NBA Summer League stint.

Welcome to Missouri Tigers On SI's "Extra Point," a video series featuring the site's Missouri beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers provide analysis on a topic concerning the Tigers or the landscape of college sports.

As NBA 2K26 Summer League comes to a close, former Missouri basketball star Caleb Grill ends his first stint of NBA action with hope for the future. He signed an exhibit 10 contract with the Chicago Bulls on June 27, giving him an opportunity to stick with the team through Summer League and training camp with a chance to earn a spot on the main roster.

Grill made the Bulls Summer League roster, and has appeared in three of Chicago's four games so far, with the final to be played tonight. He came off the bench in each contest, playing 15:23 minutes in the first game against Toronto, 19:38 minutes against the Kings in game two, and 3:52 minutes against the Bucks in game four.

His best performance came in the Kings matchup, when he scored eight points, hauled in three rebounds, and snagged three steals – showcasing his underrated aggression on the defensive end.

Grill wasn't quite the same shooter in those games that many grew to know in his Missouri days, sitting at 4-for-12 through his games. While the shots weren't necessarily falling, he looked poised on the court, maintaining movement and attempting 3-pointers at a high degree of difficulty.

Even when shots weren't falling, Grill knew how to keep his head high and push forward.

"You can't hang your head and just think about yourself," Grill said in an interview with Mizzou Athletics on Wednesday. "I think if you create energy by going up to teammates, and if anybody makes a mistake – whether it's you or somebody else – you go up and give them a dap or something and move on ."

Grill's infectious energy was apparent during his time with Missouri, and can go a long way in helping him land a home in the NBA. Despite on-court struggles, that positive mindset helped Grill to take away Summer League as a positive experience.

"Each opportunity I get on the court – whether on the court or on the bench – I get to learn," Grill said. "That's kind of what this process has been for me, a lot of learning and just adapting to what's next."

What's next for Grill is an opportunity in training camp, but that won't be as publicly accessible as Summer League, meaning less eyes on the former Missouri captain to check up on his status. In camp, he'll have the chance to make the final roster by earning a two-way contract – like his former teammate Tamar Bates did – or a home in the G League.

If Grill's offense returns to the form of his final season with the Tigers, it'd be a surprise not to see him in the association.