Caleb Wilson has UNC fans dreaming with meeting he had at the NBA Draft Combine

It feels like North Carolina never got the full Caleb Wilson experience that the Tar Heels and the fans deserved. When Wilson was on the floor, he was one of the top players in the country and quickly became everyone's favorite Tar Heel. Unfortunately, Wilson won't be suiting up in Carolina blue again, but it doesn't mean he is finished with the state.

Wilson expressed interest in playing for the Charlotte Hornets, speaking about how much he loved being in North Carolina and how excited Tar Heel fans would be to see him playing for the state's NBA team. 

"I met with the Hornets really recently, today actually, and I feel like it was extremely cool. They're a really cool franchise. And I went to North Carolina, so the Hornets were huge where I was in college," Wilson said.

Caleb Wilson to the Hornets is a North Carolina fan's dream

The Hornets are coming off of a solid season in their rebuild. Charlotte made the NBA play-in tournament and is stocked with young talent. LaMelo Ball, when he's healthy, is one of the best big guards in the league. Kon Knueppel proved that being a Tar Heel menace with Duke wasn't the only thing he was good at and led the NBA in 3-pointers made, becoming the first rookie to do so, and Miles Bridges is in the prime of his career. Adding Wilson to this group would make the Hornets a formidable presence in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

Now the bad news is the Hornets are picking at No. 14 and No. 18 in this draft and Wilson is guaranteed to go in the top five and possibly top three. That means Charlotte would have to package their two first-round picks along with future first-round picks and likely a few players to get inside the top five. Wilson has been projected by most mock drafts to go at No. 4 to the Chicago Bulls, but for the Hornets to guarantee they get him, it would probably require trading with the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 3.

The chances of this happening seem pretty slim. Wilson, however, sees the projections and would be happy to play in Chicago.

"Chicago is a great city, it would be a great place to play. I know a lot about Chicago. I know [Michael Jordan] went here from North Carolina. I watched 'The Last Dance', so you know I got a little bit of history about Chicago. The city is a great place for sure," he said.

Caleb Wilson knows the best NBA comparison for his game

Wilson is going through the NBA Combine week, which means a ton of meetings with NBA teams and a ton of media. When Wilson was asked who he believes he is most comparable to in the NBA, he said that his game compares favorably to LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

"I feel like I'm kind of similar to Kawhi [Leonard]. I feel like I am a two-way player that could impact the game in so many ways that you can use me and plug me into any type of team," he said.

Leonard might be the best comparison, but Wilson's favorite player is three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić. 

"I really like Jokic. He was my favorite player, even before his MVP [seasons]. I wasn't really that athletic when I was younger, believe it or not, so seeing him be a half-court hub, but not be that athletic, was really cool for me," Wilson added.

Hard to believe there wasn't a time when Wilson wasn't that athletic. But if he can channel the skill of either Leonard or Jokic, the team that drafts him in June will be extremely happy. 

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