2026 NBA Draft Prospect Jayden Quaintance Eyes Transfer Portal After Knee Injury

Jayden Quaintance, a top prospect in the 2026 NBA draft class, could be leaving Arizona State after one season after undergoing knee surgery.

Haminn Quaintance, Jayden's father, told ESPN's Jonathan Givony his son will explore the transfer portal as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn ACL.

"We're looking to put the right people around him," Haminn said of Jayden looking into the transfer portal.

Givony noted Jayden's surgery took place on March 19, and he's on track to be cleared for September.

Back in November, B/R's Jonathan Wasserman had Quaintance ranked as the ninth-best prospect in the 2026 draft class.

Quaintance missed the Sun Devils' final six games of the season after injuring his knee late in the second half of a 66-54 win over Kansas State on Feb. 23.

There was no official update from the team after the injury occurred. Head coach Bobby Hurley told reporters on Feb. 25 they were still gathering information.

"We'll know a lot more tomorrow," Hurley said. "It's a little premature to comment on it. We're dotting our I's and crossing our Ts."

The injury marred what was one of Quaintance's best games of the season. He scored 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in 26 minutes.

Quaintance reclassified to be in the 2024 college recruiting class. He was originally committed to Kentucky before flipping to Arizona State after John Calipari left the Wildcats.

Reclassifying meant Quaintance spent the entire 2024-25 season playing as a 17-year-old. Givony noted he was the youngest player in Division I this season.

Despite having one year of college experience under his belt, Quaintance's age means he's ineligible for the NBA draft until next year. The league's collective bargaining agreement requires eligible prospects turn 19 in the calendar year that they are drafted.

Quaintance won't even turn 18 until July 11. He's still raw as a prospect but showed flashes of what makes him special this season. The 6'9" forward averaged 9.4 points on 52.5 percent shooting, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in 24 starts for Arizona State.