North Carolina Tar Heels star Caleb Wilson could be out for the rest of the season after fracturing his hand, but what could that mean for his NBA Draft stock?
The North Carolina Tar Heels were dealt a devastating blow last week, as forward Caleb Wilson was ruled out indefinitely after fracturing his hand.
It stands to reason that Wilson's 2025-26 season could be over, which means that the 19-year-old may have to start preparing for the NBA Draft.
Which begs the question: has Wilson's draft stock — which had been sky high — been adversely affected by his injury?
The answer is crystal clear: no.
It's not like Wilson had only played a few games before getting injured. Scouts have a 24-game sample size to evaluate the 6-foot-10 star, and during that time, Wilson unquestionably produced.
During his time on the floor this season, Wilson has averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks over 31.3 minutes per game on 57.8 percent shooting. He is also averaging 7.5 free-throw attempts a night, making good on 71.3 percent of them.
The Atlanta native has widely been viewed as a top-five talent in this upcoming NBA Draft class, with some combination of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer genuinely occupying the top three and Kingston Flemings also in the mix.
North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson. Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images.That has not changed because of a hand injury.
Had Wilson suffered a much more severe injury, then that may have certainly altered his standing in the draft order, but it seems hard to imagine a team passing on him based on what just happened.
It would be fairly surprising if Wilson slipped out of the top five. Yes, he still has some work to do in terms of polishing his game, particularly when it comes to becoming a threat from the perimeter.
However, Wilson is a tremendous two-way talent possessing incredible versatility and could become an immediate force for whoever is lucky enough to draft him this summer.
Wilson had racked up 11 double-doubles prior to the injury and had also posted 20 or more points in 17 of his 24 contests. That's truly impressive, and his low-water mark was 13 points (unless you include his 12-point performance in 26 minutes before exiting with the hand injury against Miami).
There is no question that NBA teams will still be clamoring for Wilson between now and June. The fractured hand won't change anything in that regard.
Tar Heels Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things North Carolina Tar Heels. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.