UNC’s NBA draft hopefuls begin pro journey in Chicago

North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Matt Able will represent the Tar Heels at the NBA draft combine, which begins Sunday in Chicago and offers all three a chance to impress scouts ahead of the June 23 draft in Brooklyn.

Wilson is projected as a top-five pick, ranked No. 3 overall by USA TODAY Sports and No. 4 by both ESPN and The Athletic. Veesaar is slotted as a late first-rounder, going No. 25 in ESPN’s mock draft and No. 27 in both The Athletic and USA TODAY Sports. Able is ranked No. 42 overall by ESPN but was left out of The Athletic’s most recent projections.

The NBA draft lottery will air live on ABC at 3 p.m. Sunday, providing an early indication of possible landing spots for Wilson and other projected lottery picks.

Able, who committed to North Carolina on April 21 after entering the transfer portal and testing the draft waters on April 6, is expected to enroll at UNC this summer and begin his Tar Heels career, barring a late rise in his draft stock before the May 27 NCAA early entry withdrawal deadline.

The combine includes official measurements, strength and agility testing, shooting drills and optional scrimmages, while also giving Wilson, Veesaar and Able opportunities to meet with NBA teams and speak with reporters.