ESPN's latest NBA Mock Draft has new Tar Heel going second round
Matt Able will bring a solid scoring punch to UNC...if he chooses the college basketball route. Able is mocked in ESPN's latest NBA Draft.
The 2026-27 UNC basketball roster is rounding into shape. New head coach Michael Malone will have a couple returners from last season, while landing a few transfers and international guys. One of those new guys, Matt Able , transferred over from NC State.
He proved a promising freshman during his lone season in Raleigh, averaging 8. 8 points and 3. 4 rebounds per game, while also shooting nearly 80 percent on free throws.
There's a chance Able doesn't ever don a Tar Heel uniform, though. In ESPN's latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft , Able goes 39th overall to the Houston Rockets. Caleb Wilson is projected fourth overall to the Chicago Bulls in this same mock draft, while Henri Veesaar goes 25th overall to the aging Los Angeles Lakers.
If Able opts for the NBA, he'll leave North Carolina with a sizable hole in its backcourt. Isaiah Denis or Jaydon Young likely become starters in this situation, while there's a chance Malone lands another portal or international guard. You imagine that every college basketball player's dream is to make the NBA.