Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesar projected as first-round picks

The 2026 NBA draft lottery took place in Chicago on Sunday, giving the league the order of the lottery teams that are involved. As the NBA playoffs continue on, the back end of the draft is also slowly coming together. For the North Carolina Tar Heels, they have a few players hoping to hear their names called come June's draft.

Former UNC stars Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar are the two notable ones. But incoming transfer Matt Able and former Tar Heel Seth Trimble could also hear their names called in the second round as well. But for Wilson and Veesaar are both projected as first-round picks.

In Jeremy Woo's latest ESPN mock draft following the lottery, he has Wilson going early at No. 4 to the Chicago Bulls and then Veesaar going to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 25 overall.

Here is what Woo said about Wilson: In addition to being viewed as a consensus top-four prospect, Wilson is an excellent fit with Chicago's existing talent, representing a high-flying frontcourt option with room to grow. His season ended early due to a pair of hand injuries, but that didn't impact his momentum as a top-four selection, as teams fell in love with his motor, explosiveness and potential as a two-way impact player. He will likely receive looks higher than this and will have an opportunity to make his case in pre-draft workouts, where his athletic gifts should stand out, and teams will want to better assess his skill level and perimeter shooting.