Nets in Place to Get Coveted North Carolina Player in NBA Draft

The Brooklyn Nets keep rebuilding, and that’s why the upcoming NBA draft is so important to the franchise.

The NBA draft’s early entry deadline for basketball prospects to declare for the 2026 NBA draft was April 24, so it’s come and gone. Before then, 71 college players submitted their applications. Also, the official deadline for early entry candidates to take their names out of the pre-draft process while keeping collegiate eligibility is May 27, so that’s another date to watch.

Now, let the projections and predictions for the upcoming NBA draft begin.

In a piece for USA Today laying out their latest mock draft, Bryan Kalbrosky predicts the Nets snag Caleb Wilson of North Carolina.

In the piece, he says that one general manager told Jake Fischer that “every team” is going to have Wilson “over either one of Dybantsa, Boozer or Darryn Peterson.”

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He adds that the player’s “injury, which caused him to miss the NCAA Tournament with a broken thumb, did not hurt his draft stock at all.”

“Wilson, who also suffered a hand fracture earlier in the season, did more than enough to earn this placement,” he continues. “According to Bart Torvik, before the injury, the All-ACC big man led the nation with 67 dunks recorded. He was also the only player under 20 years old to reach specific thresholds for both block, steal and defensive rebound percentage.”

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So, the Nets would be wise to snag Wilson with their first pick of the draft. Other players also fall high in the tally, but having that many dunks, at 67, in his final season with North Carolina is something that could add a real boost to the team’s offense.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 7:58 PM.