INGLEWOOD, Calif. — After a series of interviews, workouts and handshakes, Keaton Wagler had an inkling the Los Angeles Clippers would select him with the No. 5 pick in Tuesday night’s NBA draft.
“They were just super genuine with me, and they just showed a lot of interest in me,” Wagler said after the Clippers chose the 6-foot-5 guard from Illinois with their highest draft pick in 16 years.
After three days, the Clippers decision-makers were convinced they had found their next young star in a versatile ballhandler who can shoot, pass and defend.
“When you’re drafting a 19- or 20-year-old, you look at the big picture, you look at who is the best player for the Clippers, and we landed on Keaton,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said. “Keaton has the qualities that we look for before we even get to the skill on the court.”
More Top Picks Best Educational Tablets For Kids
Frank said Wagler possesses a hunger and a drive to win, adding that he is “someone who embodies the work ethic, the resilience, the dedication of everybody who works with the Clippers.”
Wagler, who evolved from a less heralded recruit to a second-team AP All-American and one of the nation’s best shooters, averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists while leading the Illini to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four for the first time in 21 years.
He can play on and off the ball, pass and score at what Frank called “a very, very high level.”
“The things that separate Keaton that make him special are his basketball IQ, feel and craftiness,” he added
At Illinois, Wagler shot 39.7% from 3-point range, including hitting nine 3s in a 46-point scoring outburst against Purdue. He said during the ESPN broadcast of the draft that the fact he was overshadowed in high school motivated him to reach this level.
“It was all the hard work and not worrying about what anyone else said,” Wagler said, adding that he will continue to play with a “chip on his shoulder” in the NBA.
“I have to continue to prove myself,” Wagler said.
Although Wagler isn’t the quickest or most athletic player, he is a talented pick-and-roll ballhandler who can score from all three levels and should complement starting point guard Darius Garland.
“I’m going to bring a lot of versatility on the floor and be able to play on and off the ball alongside Garland,” Wagler said. “When he has the ball in his hands, (I need to) be ready to space and shoot the ball. When I have the ball in my hands, just being aggressive to make plays for myself and the others.”
Wagler will compete for minutes with five other young guards, including Jordan Miller, Kobe Sanders and Cam Christie. The Clippers currently have eight guards on their roster.
More Top Picks Ratio Six Series 2
“He is only 19, with room to grow in virtually every area, and we are excited to help him realize his vast potential,” Frank said.