Former And Future Tar Heels Heading To Chicago For Draft Combines

Next stop: the Windy City. On Friday, the NBA announced its list of 73 players invited to participate in the upcoming NBA Draft Combine, set for May 10-17 in Chicago.

Tar Heel big men Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar both received invitations, while incoming transfer Matt Able will also get an opportunity to prove himself in front of league scouts.

Seth Trimble, meanwhile, earned an invitation to the NBA G League Draft Combine, which will also take place in Chicago from May 8-10. Standout performers from that event will receive an invitation to participate in the NBA Draft Combine.

Wilson’s invitation comes as a formality, as the frontcourt phenom projects as a consensus top-five pick following a freshman season that saw him break numerous UNC single-season records.

Veesaar’s invitation comes with little surprise either, with the big man slotted as a projected first-round pick (No. 25 overall) in ESPN’s most recent mock draft.

Able earned his invitation to Chicago following a freshman season at NC State that saw the rookie average 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds. On April 6, the former top-30 recruit announced his entrance into the transfer portal while also testing the NBA Draft process.

The 6-foot-6 guard is projected as the No. 42 pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft, and was ranked as the No. 31 overall player in the transfer portal by On3 before committing to the Tar Heels on April 21.

If Able opts to return to college, as expeted, and suit up for the Tar Heels next season, he’ll need to withdraw from the draft by the May 27 deadline.

Trimble will look to earn his way into the NBA Draft Combine following his fourth and final season in Chapel Hill, where he averaged 14.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. He ranks as the No. 84 prospect in ESPN’s most recent NBA draft big board.

In April, at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament — a three-day showcase featuring 64 college seniors split into eight teams — the former Tar Heel senior captain averaged 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game across three contests.

Former Tar Heel Tyler Nickel also received an invitation to the NBA Combine, while former Tar Heels Cade Tyson and Elliot Cadeau earned invitations to the G League Combine.