Who Experts Expect Lakers to Select With No. 25 Pick in 2026 NBA Draft
The Los Angeles Lakers need to find a contributor to their roster in the 2026 NBA draft.
The 2026 draft is viewed as one of the deepest prospect pools in recent memory. Even at No. 25, the Lakers could find a player who could either slot into the starting lineup, or be a part of the rotation right away.
A lot of attention will be on the center position. Deandre Ayton has an $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season. If he opts in, it will most likely be his last season with the franchise.
Of course, there's the LeBron James question hanging over the franchise as well. James has not displayed signs that he will retire, but the Lakers have to start planning for his departure whenever it happens.
Henri Veesaar
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The Athletic's Sam Vecenie and ESPN's Jeremy Woo both projected North Carolina center Henri Veesaar to land with the Lakers at No. 25 in their updated mock drafts.
The center from Estonia averaged 17 points and 8.7 rebounds per game at North Carolina last season.
He developed from an off-the-bench piece in his sophomore year at Arizona to a key piece of UNC's rotation.
The seven-footer shot 42.6 percent from three-point range in addition to his 60.8 overall field-goal percentage.
Veesaar's three-point shooting could give the Lakers a more well-rounded center than Ayton, who plays a lot around the rim.
A Veesaar selection could also help a bit with the Lakers' overall three-point shooting to take some pressure off Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and others.
Isaiah Evans
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Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman mocked Duke's Isaiah Evans to the Lakers at No. 25.
Evans shot 38 percent from three-point range in his two seasons at Duke.
He made 2.7 threes per game this past season. That would be good enough for the second-best total on the Lakers roster behind Doncic.
Only Doncic and Reaves averaged over two made three-pointers per game in the regular season. Rui Hachimura has come alive in the postseason from beyond the arc, but the team's overall shooting needs to improve.
With James close to retirement and Reaves owning a potential out this offseason through a player option, the Lakers have to get better in the scoring department.
Ideally, Reaves opts in for next season and James comes back for one more year. If that happens, Evans could have time to develop into a scorer at the next level instead of being thrust into an important role if Doncic is the only one back of the big three.
Joshua Jefferson
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SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell projected Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson to the Lakers in the first round.
Jefferson is more of an all-around player than Veesaar and Evans.
He averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season at Iowa State.
The 6'9" senior forward is older than most prospects in the draft class, which will likely play to the Lakers benefit. Most of the teams in the lottery will take younger players with a year or two of college experience.
Jefferson's all-around abilities and experience could help the Lakers right away, instead of waiting on a younger prospect to develop.
At No. 25, even in a strong draft class, the goal is to find a player that enter your rotation right away. Jefferson fits that description.
