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.
Wilson appears to be a fit for the Bulls, a franchise that is under new leadership, and could be a star in the city that former Tar Heel Michael Jordan was. For Veesaar, he could fit nicely with what Los Angeles needs as Woo points out:
The Lakers have some roster uncertainty rolling into next season with LeBron James and likely Austin Reaves (player option) entering free agency. The most obvious need is at center, where they stand to upgrade beyond the mercurial Deandre Ayton. Veesaar would upgrade their skill level and add a floor-spacing element that the roster lacks up front. There’s still a long way to go before June’s draft but if UNC can get two first-round picks to be successful, it could play large in terms of recruiting down the line.
