Two UNC basketball players listed as first-round picks in mock draft

As the 2026 NBA Playoffs roll on, preparation for the upcoming draft is underway as well. Teams will have the chance to scout prospects in person here in May, with the annual draft combine taking place in Chicago. That combine will include two former UNC players in Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar , as well as a transfer portal commit in Matt Able.

With over a month to go until the draft, ESPN has released its latest mock including a pair of Tar Heels going in the first round. After his freshman season at UNC, Wilson's stock is very high as he's considered a top-five pick. ESPN's Jeremy Woo has Wilson going fourth to Utah: Wilson's pair of hand injuries didn't impact his standing on draft boards, with lottery teams continuing to debate internally how he projects relative to the other top prospects, particularly the more polished but less physically gifted Boozer.

He will have an opportunity to make his case in predraft workouts, where his athletic gifts should stand out, and teams will want to better assess his skill level and shooting. There are potential scenarios where he can go higher than this, depending on how the lotto order breaks. Utah won a draft tiebreaker with Sacramento, meaning its 1-8 protected pick can fall further than No.

8 -- extinguishing the Jazz's obligation to the Thunder. They don't control their own pick in 2027 and should be thinking best-available prospect here, with Wilson making sense as a long-term centerpiece, even with the addition of Jaren Jackson Jr. to strengthen their frontcourt at the deadline.