The 2026 NBA Draft is coming up quickly, and the Illinois basketball fanbase has a ton to be excited about.
One of the main storylines is Illini guard Keaton Wagler. Fresh off his freshman campaign with the Orange and Blue, Wagler is going to be one of the top 10 picks in the draft. His potential draft position has fluctuated over the past month, but he is a lock to be one of the elite selections.
Even though getting picked in the NBA Draft is a great accomplishment, as a fan, I want Wagler to go to a good franchise. With that being said, there are also teams I want him to avoid at all costs.
Here are the top three dumpster fires Keaton Wagler needs to avoid in the 2026 NBA Draft
No. 3 – Memphis Grizzlies
If this were about five years ago, I would say the Memphis Grizzlies would be a good landing spot. That isn’t the case anymore.
This is a franchise that has made it out of the first round of the NBA Playoffs once in the last 11 seasons. They have had sub-30 wins in two out of the last three years as well.
The biggest concern I would have for Wagler going to Memphis is the lack of leadership and, honestly, the lack of maturity.
Ja Morant hasn’t exactly been the beacon for how you do things at the next level. He has great talent and can lift a team, but he isn’t a serious person. The Grizzlies had a chance to trade him this season but didn’t. They are stuck with his contract for the next two seasons, and that would hinder Wagler both on the court and in his professional life.
I also don’t like the roster that Memphis has right now. They have zero weapons, and even Morant can’t shoot from three-point range. This is a team that is in full rebuild mode, and they don’t have leadership. That seems like a black hole for an NBA career.
No. 2 – Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are arguably the most irrelevant franchise in NBA history. They moved to Brooklyn from New Jersey, and no matter who played for them, no one cares about this franchise.
Brooklyn hasn’t had a winning record since the 2022-23 season. They have had a combined 46 wins in the last two years. Over the last six seasons, the Nets have had five different coaches as well.
If the Nets had good pieces who could fit well around Wagler, they wouldn’t be on this list. That isn’t the case, though. Brooklyn has a bunch of castaways who are just good enough to be in the NBA, but no one really wants them.
Wagler going to the Nets would be bad for him because there is no direction for this franchise. At the end of the day, no one would care if they went away and moved back to New Jersey, too.
I want Wagler to be set up for success in the NBA, but going to the Nets wouldn’t do that. It would hinder his ability to progress as a player. This is a nowhere franchise.
No. 1 – Sacramento Kings
The worst franchise in the NBA is the Sacramento Kings. There is no question about it. This is the team Wagler needs to avoid at all costs.
Sacramento is coming off a 22-win season. That alone should worry people. A stat that is even crazier is that the Kings have only made the NBA Playoffs one time in the last 20 seasons.
If you look at the Kings’ roster, it doesn’t look terrible. There are plenty of familiar names, but that actually should worry you the most.
There is a ton of experience on the Sacramento roster, but they could only manage 22 wins. That is a massive red flag when it comes to veteran leadership. When you break things down, all of the players on the roster are players who have been shipped away because they command too much, but the talent level doesn’t match it.
Another bad thing about the Kings’ roster is that there are a lot of big contracts still on the record for next season. It is not like there are expiring contracts this summer. So, they couldn’t put anything around Wagler.
I mentioned that the Nets were a nowhere franchise, but at least they have had blips of time when they put together somewhat competitive rosters. The same can’t be said for the Kings. This franchise ruins careers. My hope is that Wagler can avoid the Kings in the NBA Draft.
Add us as a preferred source on Google