Professional Journey Begins in Chicago For UNC's NBA Draft Hopefuls

The next step toward the pros begins Friday in Chicago, kicking off a nine-day stretch featuring the NBA G League Draft Combine, NBA Draft Lottery and NBA Draft Combine.

First on the docket Friday is the G League Draft Combine where Seth Trimble will participate in the three-day event featuring strength and agility testing, as well as five-on-five scrimmages in front of NBA and G League scouts, front office executives and coaches. 

The 44 prospects invited to the combine were divided into four teams Thursday, with Trimble’s roster featuring Quadir Copeland (NC State), Noam Yaacov (Belgium), Donovan Atwell (Texas Tech), Aidan Mahaney (UC Santa Barbara), Malique Lewis (SE Melbourne), Zach Cleveland (Liberty), Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue), Mark Mitchell (Missouri), Graham Ike (Gonzaga) and Keba Keita (BYU).

A strong showing could earn Trimble an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine, which begins following the conclusion of the G-League Combine. The four-year Tar Heel was not included in the latest mock drafts from ESPN or The Athletic, but ranks No. 84 on ESPN’s Top 100 draft board.

On Sunday, the week-long NBA Draft Combine gets underway, with Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Matt Able all set to participate. That afternoon also marks the NBA Draft Lottery, which will air live on ABC at 3 p.m.

Wilson and Veesaar take the floor in the Windy City with their sights firmly set on hearing their names called June 23 in Brooklyn at the NBA Draft.

Able, who committed to North Carolina on April 21 after entering the transfer portal while simultaneously testing the draft waters on April 6, is expected to enroll at UNC this summer and begin his Tar Heel career, barring an unexpected huge surge in his draft stock. The NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline for the NBA Draft is May 27.

The combine includes official measurements, strength and agility testing, mandatory shooting drills and optional live offense-versus-defense workouts. Players also have the option to participate in five-on-five scrimmages following the conclusion of on-court drills. (See: A closer look at the NBA Draft Combine stations)

Beyond the workouts, the week provides Wilson, Veesaar and Able an opportunity to meet privately with NBA teams and speak publicly with reporters as franchises continue evaluating prospects ahead of the draft. 

Wilson enters the week projected as a top-five selection, checking in at No. 4 overall in the latest mock drafts from ESPN and The Athletic. Veesaar projects as a late first-round pick, landing at No. 25 in ESPN’s projections and No. 27 in The Athletic’s. Able slots in at No. 42 overall in ESPN’s latest mock draft, though he was not included in The Athletic’s most recent projections.