Lakers rumors: New ESPN mock draft delivers Kentucky product with concerning medical red flags

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in the early stages of what could be a busy offseason for the future direction of the franchise. Priority number one for the Lakers is figuring out what the future holds for LeBron James, who is eligible to leave the team in free agency after eight seasons in Los Angeles.

The Lakers hold the number 25 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, and recently, NBA insider Jeremy Woo of ESPN floated a name that he thinks Los Angeles could take at that selection: center Jayden Quaintance out of Kentucky.

Woo noted that Quaintance has dealt with major injury concerns during his college career, suffering a torn ACL with Arizona State in 2025 and appearing in just four games for Kentucky the following season, but that “…He is unanimously viewed as a first-round talent and is drawing consideration as high as the teens.”

Woo also broke down why Quaintance would make sense for the Lakers specifically.

“L.A.’s need for a lob option up front would make Quaintance an intriguing addition here,” he noted.

Frontcourt play was once again an issue for the Lakers during the 2025-26 season, as Deandre Ayton did not perform consistently enough to establish himself as the starting center of the future in Los Angeles.

While Quaintance’s injury concerns are certainly an issue, if he were able to overcome them, he could give Los Angeles a starting-level big man on a cheap rookie contract, which would allow them to spend money to fill out some of the other needs on the roster, of which there are many.

In any case, the first round of the NBA Draft is slated to get underway on June 23 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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