The Wizards landed the 19-year-old phenom in the ESPN mock draft

Washington The Wizards will try their luck in the NBA draft lottery again this year after missing out on generational superstar Victor Vembanyama in 2023, as well as potential stars Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper in 2025. Fortunately for the Wizards, Kansas guard Darrin PetersonBIU forward AJ Dibants and Duke forward Cam Boozer have franchise-level talent.

But if Washington doesn’t land a top-three pick, North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson could be the next best option. ESPN’s Jeremy Wu broke down the Wizards’ picks 19-year-old freshman fourth overall in his final mock draft on Tuesday.

“Wilson remained productive for North Carolina, and his mix of vertical explosiveness, defensive play and room to grow offensively cemented him as a likely top-five selection,” he wrote. “Although he will face important tests in conference play, especially a pair of back-to-back games against Cam Boozer and Duke, Wilson’s energy and winning impact, even with a lackluster offensive game, has been endearing. Teams have questions about his perimeter shooting, something he will have a better chance of answering in the draft, but he has created the potential for this upcoming practice as he has created the potential of a versatile frontcourt standout.”

Wilson is averaging 19.9 points on 58.2 percent shooting (25 percent 3-point) with 10.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks in 31 minutes for the No. 14 Tar Heels. The 6-foot-10, 215-pounder is sixth in the nation in rebounding average and has scored 20-plus points in 12 of his 17 games so far.

“After acquiring Trae Young, the Wizards are still operating with a clean slate, although the move could prevent them from targeting a point guard depending on where this pick falls,” Wu continued. “Wilson could fit in nicely alongside the forward Alex Sarr, creating a team capable of playing fast while maintaining size on the pitch.”

The mock draft began with the Indiana Pacers selecting Peterson first overall, followed by the Sacramento Kings selecting Dibanza and the Atlanta Hawks taking Boozer, respectively. Should the Wizards go with Wilson if they don’t take a top-three pick in May, assuming he’s available when the time comes? Or could the Georgia native sneak into the top three by then?

Caleb Wilson needs to develop offensively to warrant a top-three pick

Wilson would easily be a top-three pick in several past draft classes, as his ability to guard multiple positions in addition to his productivity as a slasher and his positional size (seven-foot wingspan) all bode well for his future. The 2025 McDonald’s All-American fits the mold of a modern two-way power forward that NBA teams covet.

However, three-point shooting is also paramount in today’s league, and Wilson is just 4-of-16 from beyond the arc this season. Winner Mr. Georgia Basketball 2025 could later develop into a float-spacer and/or shot creator, but the three aforementioned prospects are above him in those areas.

Peterson, Dibantsa and Boozer can create their own shots as well as open looks for their teammates, and each can thrive on and off the ball. Wilson currently doesn’t have the ability to be on the ball consistently at the next level, so he’ll likely be limited to cutting, setting screens and finishing offensively to start his NBA career.

That skill set would still help Washington, as Young could run the offense while Wilson and Sarr set the pick, cut and finish at the rim. The latter can also hit 3-pointers, as he is shooting 34.5 percent from deep on an average of 2.9 attempts this season. Meanwhile, Wilson is too midrange promise shownso as not to spoil the spacing.

Caleb Wilson vs. Stanford tonight…

26 points (11-16 FG, 4-7 FTs)
9 REBS
3 AST
2 STLS
1 BLK

Top choice 3… pic.twitter.com/CiIUepMRiv

— Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) January 15, 2026

The reason why Peterson, Dibanca and Boozer are potential the best potential trio over the last 15 seasons is that they “pass the eye and statistical tests to grade as ‘1A prospects,'” according to Nathan Grubel of No Ceilings. Boozer is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward who can hit threes (36.4 percent on 3.9 average attempts), clean the glass (9.7 rebounds), find open teammates (4.1 assists) and score.

Meanwhile, Dibanca and Peterson are offensive “alphas” who can take over and close out games when the team needs them. Dibanca is third in the nation in scoring at 23.1 points per game on 56.1 percent shooting (32 percent 3-point), uses his offensive gravitas to set up his teammates (3.7 assists) and can pinwheel dunks in half-court sets. Additionally, he is a 6-foot-9, 210-pound freak athlete who is active on the boards (7.1 rebounds) and has potential as both a one-on-one and help defender.

Friday night’s game against Baylor is only Peterson’s ninth appearance for the Jayhawks this season due to injury, but he has already shown his ability to goal over the defenders with ease. The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder shot 40 percent from deep entering the contest.

In short, landing Wilson would hardly be tragic for the Wizards, but he’s not as likely to develop into the best player on an NBA championship team as the aforementioned trio. At some point, they must land “The Guy,” the unquestioned superstar who will lead them to the promised land.

Heading into Friday night’s road game with the Sacramento Kings, Washington has the NBA’s third-worst record at 10-29. If they finish the season in the bottom three, then they will be tied with the bottom two teams for the best chances of win the first three picks (40.1 percent), according to Tankaton. If he finishes fourth-worst, which is the highest slot he can finish to guarantee keeping his best protected top-eight pick, the odds drop to 36.6 percent.

If luck eludes the Wizards again, they’ll have to try to trade up in the draft or acquire another veteran star, as Young isn’t a lock to stick around long-term. For now, they have to hope the basketball gods make things easy for them for once.