As fans suddenly have a reason to tune into 2026 mock drafts, following the Ivica Zubac trade, which granted the LA Clippers a protected version(1-4 and 10-30) of the Indiana Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick, Christopher Kline of FanSided.com has Caleb Wilson from North Carolina going to Inglewood, California. As a result, trading Kawhi Leonard before he enters the last year of his contract is the only choice the front office would have.
If extended, timelines would conflict, financial freedom would be compromised, and the Clippers would be taking a risk on Leonard’s availability. Therefore, there is no sense in retaining him if you can draft Wilson while receiving a haul following the best offensive season of the two-time champion's career.
Going from Kawhi Leonard to Caleb Wilson would be a passing of the torch
At fifth overall, Caleb Wilson sounds like the perfect name to have next to Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin, Jordan Miller, and Kobe Sanders. He is one of the highest draft prospects, and at only 19 years old, North Carolina is developing him into the next bright young star in the NBA.
For the Tar Heels, in what is panning out to be an exceptional one-and-done season, Wilson has averaged 20.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, shooting 58.1% from the field in 31.2 minutes, across 22 games.
These numbers are outstanding, and they look even better considering Wilson is at the helm of a squad that only has four losses. His mid-season leaps are evident and will be prominent in the best time of the year for college basketball fans: March Madness.
Though his three-point shooting needs attention, at 25.0%, Wilson has a motor that Kawhi Leonard in his prime presented. Not only has the six-foot-ten, five-star recruit recorded 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, but his instincts, IQ, awareness, and hustle are off the charts.
Immediately, he would pick up right where Leonard left off. How much better could it get for fans of the LA Clippers? They have never had to worry about a single defensive weakness over the last seven years in the forward slots, and with Wilson, they will not for the foreseeable future.
That said, if Wilson is drafted, it would be time to say a warm, wishful goodbye to Leonard, as one era would be closed for good, and another would begin. This would be a new change, yet it has been a long time coming.