The pre-draft process often places heavy emphasis on private workouts, but Illinois guard Keaton Wagler believes his standing in the 2026 NBA Draft was already established before his scheduled session with the Brooklyn Nets.
Speaking to reporters, Wagler explained why he met with Brooklyn without participating in an on-court workout after reports surfaced that the Nets had previously canceled a planned session with the projected lottery pick.
“I already worked out for Chicago, then I was going to the Clippers. That’s 4 and 5,” Wagler said, via Michael Scotto. “Hearing from them and knowing where I stood, I knew I didn’t need to work out, but still meeting with teams and talking to them.”
The comments offer additional insight into one of the more closely watched draft situations near the top of the lottery. Brooklyn owns the No. 6 overall pick, directly behind the Chicago Bulls at No. 4 and the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 5. Wagler’s remarks suggest he received enough feedback from teams in that range to feel comfortable skipping another workout while continuing formal interviews and meetings.
The Nets enter draft night after a difficult 20-62 season that finished 13th in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn owns the sixth pick and is widely expected to consider backcourt talent as part of its rebuilding effort. Even without a workout, the organization’s decision to meet with Wagler indicates continued interest in evaluating one of the draft’s top guard prospects.
Wagler’s draft stock has experienced some fluctuation during the final weeks of the process. Yahoo Sports recently reported that the Clippers were not fully committed to selecting him at No. 5, while Brooklyn had canceled a previously scheduled workout. Those developments created uncertainty around his landing spot despite a productive freshman season at Illinois.
The 6-foot-guard delivered one of the strongest statistical profiles among lead guards in this draft class. Across 37 starts for Illinois, Wagler averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while playing 33.9 minutes per game. He shot 44.5 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from three-point range, and 79.6 percent from the free-throw line.
His combination of scoring efficiency and ball-handling responsibility has kept him firmly in the lottery conversation. Wagler averaged 2.4 made three-pointers per game on 5.9 attempts while committing only 1.8 turnovers per contest despite serving as Illinois’ primary creator.
The Sacramento Kings, who hold the No. 7 pick after a 22-60 season, were also scheduled to work out Wagler as they continue evaluating guard prospects. Yahoo Sports reported that Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. remains Sacramento’s preferred backcourt target, but the organization is conducting additional due diligence on several lottery candidates.
With the 2026 NBA Draft set for June 23-24 at Barclays Center, Wagler remains one of several guards expected to come off the board shortly after the draft’s top tier of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer.
