Illinois guard Keaton Wagler was selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. The selection marks the first time an Illinois basketball player has been taken in the lottery since Meyers Leonard went No. 11 overall in 2012 and the first top 10 pick since Deron Williams went No. 3 overall in 2005.

The Clippers chose Wagler over highly touted guards such as Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown Jr., and Kingston Flemings. This year's draft was considered one of the deepest classes in NBA history, yet Wagler still found himself selected in the top five.

The Illini now have five guards in the NBA: Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley, and Keaton Wagler.

Wagler was ranked just No. 150 in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports, but he never allowed that ranking to impact his confidence entering college. He was not expected to play a major role at Illinois as a freshman, yet he earned every minute he played and every basket he scored. Wagler went from a player projected to come off the bench to one of the best players in Illinois basketball history.

Illinois reached its first Final Four since 2005 last season, and Wagler led the team in scoring at 17.9 points per game. The freshman also led the Illini with 4.2 assists per game and ranked third on the team with 5.1 rebounds per game. Wagler earned Consensus Second Team All-American honors, was named a Wooden Award All-American, NCAA Tournament South Region Most Outstanding Player, and won the Jerry West Award as the nation's top shooting guard.

In high school, Wagler led Shawnee Mission Northwest High School to back-to-back Kansas 6A state championships and was named Kansas Player of the Year as a senior. He has won at a high level everywhere he has played, and I do not see that changing in the NBA.

Wagler is just 19 years old and played only one season of college basketball, so it may take some time for him to fully develop. The Kansas native still needs to add strength to his frame and adjust to the physicality of the NBA, but those things should come with time.

There is no guarantee that Wagler will excel immediately as a rookie, but he has exceeded expectations at every level of his career. The Clippers have veteran guards such as Darius Garland, Bradley Beal and Bennedict Mathurin, in addition to Kawhi Leonard at the wing, so Wagler will have to earn his minutes in Year 1.

The Clippers are in an unusual position after finishing as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference and just one game above .500 yet still owning a high draft pick acquired from the Indiana Pacers. It remains unclear what direction the franchise plans to take moving forward, but a commitment to a younger roster could help Wagler see the floor more frequently.

On one hand, learning from veteran guards could be beneficial for Wagler's long-term development. On the other, it could limit the playing time he needs to showcase his abilities. Regardless, the former Illini has proven to be a winner and team player throughout his career, so I expect him to have a long NBA and successful NBA career.