Local freshman phenom would be perfect draft pick for Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets, barring a surprise turnaround, are probably going to be picking in the lottery again. While that would be a disappointing outcome after all the offseason hope, adding a player from this loaded draft class is a good thing.

There are a lot of different options the Hornets can look at. Cam Boozer, if they somehow win the lottery, makes perfect sense. Koa Peat, who has been mocked to Charlotte a few times, would also be a great fit.

Assuming the Hornets do not get the top pick (which is maybe the safest assumption one can make) but do hover around the top five, there's one rising prospect who would be perfect in Charlotte: local freshman phenom Caleb Wilson.

Wilson wasn't this high on draft boards to begin with. The draft had a big three with Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and AJ Dybantsa. But Wilson, with his endless stream of double-doubles, has risen to their level.

His per-36 stats are impressive: 23.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.8 steals. Among potential first-round picks, his 12.8 rebounds leads the nation.

Dec 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) at the free throw line in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

At 6'10", Wilson would bring much-needed size to the power forward position. Miles Bridges might be on his way out, but he also projects better as a three anyway. The wings would get a little crowded, but adding Wilson would give the Hornets a legitimate power forward.

With LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Ryan Kalkbrenner all, for now, seeming like mainstays at their positions, the only one that makes sense to add to is power forward. And while Boozer and Dybantsa may be better there, Wilson is more likely to land near where the Hornets draft.

Furthermore, Wilson probably brings more defensive upside than either Boozer or Dybantsa presently. The Hornets need someone who can defend to help their porous perimeter and take the pressure off of Kalkbrenner alone to clean it up.

Plus, it's not as if Wilson's a scrub on the offensive end. His finishing when he's not making dunks leaves a lot to be desired, but he's flashed the range on occasion and has developed a nice mid-range game that's helped offset the layup struggles.

And when you have LaMelo Ball running an offense, Wilson will get plenty of dunk opportunities, so that issue might not even come into play all that much.

The cherry on top of all of this is that it would give the Hornets a really young, exciting starting five of:

LaMelo Ball (25 by next season's opener)
Kon Knueppel (21 by next season)
Brandon Miller (still just 23 when next season begins)
Caleb Wilson (20 by next season)
Ryan Kalkbrenner (24 by next season)

With Liam McNeeley (21), Sion James (23), and Tre Mann (25), the opening roster next season could be brimming with young talent. Even if the Hornets don't land the UNC standout, that will still be the case.

Plus, the Hornets have always liked local talent, like Knueppel, James, Mark Williams, and others, so a North Carolina star would fit right in.

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