The NBA Draft is on the way, and the Los Angeles Lakers have some decisions to make. Some aren’t really related to the draft, such as whether or not they’ll re-sign LeBron James now that he’s an unrestricted free agent and an expensive one, at that.
James is a free agent for the first time since 2018, and even though he’s at the top of his game, his price tag is painful. He could land a one-year, $30 million contract, according to ESPN.
But the Lakers’ other decision, right now, centers around the draft on June 23. They have the No. 25 pick in the draft, so how will they use it?
Jeremy Woo of ESPN has his latest mock out for the first round of the draft. In it, he has the Lakers selecting center Jayden Quaintance out of Kentucky. If this happens, he would really be the perfect complement to James, if James is back in 2026.
Why Jayden Quaintance would be an apt fit for the Lakers and James
Quaintance would be a fantastic fit with James because he’s an athletic, powerful center who has already shown the ability to protect the rim and gather rebounds. James and the Lakers would benefit from this skill set, and it would help fill holes in the Lakers’ lineup, letting James have some room to breathe.
The only downside here is that Quaintance is dealing with medical issues. He underwent knee surgery in March 2025 after tearing his ACL at Arizona State and only appeared in four games with Kentucky last season.
Woo notes that some teams are reluctant to draft him because of his medical status. You can’t blame them. But Woo said that he’s still “unanimously viewed as a first-round talent and is drawing consideration as high as the teens, but where he ends up might be predicated on how team doctors individually view his case.”
That added: “This pick should be best-available for the Lakers, who should be focused on the bigger picture of building around Luka Doncic but are also dealing with new contracts for LeBron James and Austin Reaves. L.A.’s need for a lob option up front would make Quaintance an intriguing addition here.”
If the Lakers get James back, have a healthy Doncic and a healthy Quaintance, then that would make for some pretty sweet basketball out in Los Angeles.
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