Inside The Kings

Kings Land UNC Star Forward in Early 2026 NBA Mock Draft

The Sacramento Kings could take a potential All-Star in next year's NBA Draft.
Eric Sperlazza|
Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) runs back against the East Carolina Pirates during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center.
Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) runs back against the East Carolina Pirates during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

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It’s about the time of the year when Sacramento Kings fans start heading to Tankathon.com to see where the team may land in the lottery. After a few solid seasons where things were truly looking up for the Kings, they have fallen back to earth and sit at 8-25, just above the last-place New Orleans Pelicans. 

There aren’t many positives for this season, but the Kings' bottoming out this year may be the best thing that could happen. More than anything, Sacramento needs a young player to get excited about, and a recent mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has the Kings landing just the type of player they need. 

No Boozer, Dybantsa, or Peterson? 

Fans reading this will immediately sigh when they see Sacramento out of the top three in the 2026 draft, and rightfully so. The top three players in this class have been in a league of their own, and any one of them could be the right guy to build your franchise around. Because of their status, most experts see a big gap between them and the next tier of players, but I’m going to make the argument that Caleb Wilson might not be as far behind as many believe. 

Wilson is a walking highlight reel at 6-foot-10 and is averaging nearly 20 points per game and over 11 rebounds while leading the 12th-ranked Tar Heels to a 13-1 record. 

Wilson is extremely productive on both ends, but there is a reason that he isn’t challenging the top-three guys so far. Caleb isn’t the shot maker that AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson are, while also not being close to the offensive engine that Cam Boozer is. Still, Wilson’s skill set is something the Kings have lacked for a long time. 

It’s well documented that the Kings are looking to turn most of their roster over, but one player is all but guaranteed to stick around. The Kings signed Keegan Murray to a five-year, $140 million rookie extension this year, and he’s rewarded them with the best defense of his career. 

Still, Murray is being asked to do a ton as the only capable wing defender, and his offense seems to have suffered. By adding Wilson, who leads Division 1 in defensive win shares, the Kings give Keegan another playmaker who can take on tough assignments and allow him a little reprieve on that end.

“Ultra bouncy and quick defensively, Caleb Wilson would clearly give the Sacramento Kings a different look from Domantas Sabonis,” Wasserman wrote.

NBA Comparison For Wilson

As you can see by Wasserman’s quote above, he sees Wilson as more of a big, and a replacement for Sabonis. While I see a world where Wilson can fill in as a small-ball five, I don’t love the idea of having him there all the time. Wasserman’s pro comparison for Wilson is Jermaine O’Neal, and while I don’t hate that at all, another current star comes to mind. 

Look, there are far worse things than ending up with a career like Jermaine O’Neal, and there are absolutely shades of O’Neal in Wilson. Still, I can’t help but see Evan Mobley every single time I watch Caleb this season. 

While Mobley is longer and more fluid, Wilson reminds me of a more powerful version of the USC standout. Wilson has a ways to go to reach Mobley’s level defensively, although I can absolutely see a path to him getting there, and I also see Wilson’s aggression as something that can help him avoid some of the offensive lulls that have hurt Mobley so far.

The major concerns for Wilson come in the form of his non-dunk finishing abilities and his shooting. Wasserman mentions that Wilson is shooting just 38% on layups this year, and he’s only converting on just 26% of his three-point attempts. Without reliable finishing or a dependable jumpshot, it will be hard for Wilson to score at the next level outside of transition opportunities. 

Still, Wilson’s shot and his midrange game give me some confidence that he’ll be able to develop into at least a respectable shooter from the outside, and some added strength should serve his finishing well in the NBA. 

How He Fits With Sacramento

As I mentioned, Wasserman views Wilson as an alternative to Sabonis as Sacramento’s big man. On the contrary, I see Wilson as more of a full-time four who could function well next to a player like Sabonis or Maxime Raynaud. 

While Raynaud has shown some flashes of athleticism, both he and Sabonis are at their best when there’s an explosive help defender next to them. This is where Wilson’s length and 5.1% block percentage can help insulate their biggest weaknesses and allow Murray to rest more than he’s been able to lately. 

The idea of having both Murray and Wilson next to one of Raynaud or Sabonis has to be tantalizing to Scott Perry and the rest of the Kings’ organization as they look to create a defensive identity for the team. 

Sure, landing one of the top three guys would answer a lot more questions for a Kings team that needs some direction, and Wilson has further to go when it comes to developing into a number one option. Still, a young core of Wilson, Murray, Raynaud, and Nique Clifford is a pretty good base to start from while Perry and Sacramento figure out the rest.

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Eric Sperlazza
ERIC SPERLAZZA

Eric Sperlazza covers the NBA and Sacramento Kings for Sacramento Kings On SI.

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