Does the Illinois star who left after his freshman year look like a prime fit for Brooklyn? Here's a more in-depth review.
This 2026 NBA Draft class is a loaded one. Which bodes greatly for the Brooklyn Nets.
General Manager Sean Marks, head coach Jordi Fernandez and the front office face a pivotal June. There's the strong belief the Nets are going to land the top overall pick.
But what if the lottery ping pong balls don't favor the Nets? Got to have a contingency plan in the event the team can't swoop up BYU star AJ Dybantsa, the projected top pick.
We here at Nets Roundtable are cycling through who presents the best fits for Brooklyn. We're diving into overall fit, how they can co-exist with the current roster setup, and if they're the guys who can elevate the franchise.
Keaton Wagler of Illinois officially entered the draft waters officially on Saturday. He's fresh off putting the Illini into the Final Four for the first time since 2005. He's garnering top five hype ahead of the draft.
Time to see if the prized Illinois freshman can fit what Fernandez and the Nets have.
Wagler can perform in big games
It's one thing to average 17.9 points per game.
But Wagler lit up some of the nation's best teams. Including No. 4 Purdue by dropping 46 points in that Jan. 24 contest.
Sweet 16 team Nebraska watched him nearly drop 30 (Wagler settled for 28) in the Feb. 1 showdown. Heck, even the national champs Michigan struggled to contain him. Wagler poured 23 on the Wolverines during their Feb. 27 contest. The freshman hit Michigan with multiple step-back threes to hand its defenders fits.
Did Wagler elevate stock in March Madness?
Wagler began by scoring 18 points against a Penn team led by former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery.
He had a quieter scoring evening against VCU with 14 points. But Illinois won that one. Wagler then scored 13 points but pulled down 12 rebounds in knocking off the Kingston Flemings led Houston Cougars during the round of 16.
Wagler later poured in 25 against conference rival Iowa to seal Illinois' Final Four bid during the Elite Eight, ending the Fighting Illini's Final Four drought also in the process.
UConn ended Wagler and Illinois' season, but he still scored 20 against the Huskies while on the biggest stage in CBB.
How Wagler fits Nets upon further review
You're looking at a selfless performer who could appeal to Fernandez.
Wagler isn't a ball-stopper who wants to score everything. He's had nights where teammates Andrej Stojakovic and Tomislav Ivisic carried the scoring load for the Illini.
Fernandez can become coaxed by this aspect: Wagler's passing. While the Nets have intriguing guards in rookies Drake Powell, Nolan Traore and Egor Demin, all three aren't natural pass-first options. All three appear to be better off attacking with the basketball. If anything, Traore is capable of being the facilitator. But Wagler can help add depth at point guard.
Wagler looks like a strong plan for Brooklyn in the event the team falls out of the top three, and he's available at No. 4.