Rival front offices anticipate the Los Angeles Clippers will use the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on either Illinois guard Keaton Wagler or Louisville guard Mikel Brown, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Sources told Fischer that Wagler and Houston guard Kingston Flemings squared off in a joint workout at the Clippers’ facility last week, with Wagler reportedly outshining his counterpart. Brown, meanwhile, has mostly held solo workouts in Orlando but is now visiting clubs in his projected range. He met with the Brooklyn Nets, who own the No. 6 selection, last Thursday and is currently in Los Angeles to meet the Clippers.
If Wagler and Brown come off the board at Nos. 5 and 6, Sacramento would be positioned to select Arkansas guard Darius Acuff with the No. 7 pick, a prospect long linked to the Kings. Flemings remains in the mix as well; multiple reports indicate the Houston guard visited Sacramento last week despite earlier suggestions he had not.
Additional draft notes:
- Darryn Peterson is not scheduling a visit with the Utah Jazz because his camp is concerned about overlapping roles with guard Keyonte George, viewed internally as a core piece. The Jazz recently worked out Acuff but are still expected to focus on Peterson, AJ Dybantsa or Cameron Boozer at No. 2.
- Tennessee forward Nate Ament has already worked out, or is slated to work out, for the Clippers, Nets, Mavericks, Thunder and Bulls, trainer Chauncey Beckett told R.org.
- Several scouts link BYU guard Richie Saunders to the Nets at No. 33, while Syracuse forward William Kyle has shut down further workouts after visiting 11 teams. The Knicks, Spurs, Thunder, Celtics and Lakers expressed interest during his visits.
- Gonzaga guard Tyon Grant-Foster, who has a defibrillator implanted due to arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, has received medical clearance from the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel.
Source: Hoops Rumors
