It's no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers need to add an impact center this offseason. That could happen via free agency, the trade market, the 2026 NBA Draft, or some combination thereof.
Names like Walker Kessler have routinely surfaced in free-agent rumors; the same with Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams III. But Kessler won't be easy to acquire, and Robinson and Williams come with injury risks.
That's why Lakers fans will be closely watching the draft, in which the Lakers pick at No. 25. According to new intel from NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, there are two players on LA's radar for that No. 25 spot.
Lakers eyeing Jayden Quaintance, Tarris Reed Jr. in the draft
"The Lakers at No. 25 are another team rivals are projecting will land on a big man," Fischer wrote. "Depending on what happens with teams above them, they might be presented with the opportunity to draft Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance, who once figured to go much higher but has inspired trepidation among some NBA teams with a slow recovery from a torn ACL in February 2025."
"Another big man who's been connected to the Lakers is UConn center Tarris Reed Jr., who I've also heard has interest from teams as high as the late teens," Fischer added.
Jayden Quaintance has blue-chip talent
Quaintance was viewed as one of the top prospects in the country in 2024. He's a strong, very athletic 6-foot-9 big man who can impact games with his physicality and bounce.
Quaintance committed to John Calipari's Kentucky before backing out due to Calipari changing schools. Quaintance then played his freshman season at Arizona State, where he averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 24 games (29.5 minutes per game). He transferred to Mark Pope's Kentucky for his sophomore season, which was limited to four games for Quantaince due to the aforementioned injury.
Tarris Reed Jr. knows how to win
Compared to Quaintance, Reed is an older, more polished, and much more collegiately experienced prospect. He's also larger at 6-foot-10, 260 pounds. Reed played for two winning programs during his college career, spending two seasons at Michigan and then two seasons with Dan Hurley at UConn.
Reed's final season at UConn saw him perform as one of the best centers in the nation, averaging 14.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in 35 starts (27.3 minutes per game).
Reed was durable throughout his entire college career, being active for 136 games across four seasons. With all of the success that Hurley's players have had in the NBA recently, Reed seems like a sure bet to at least contribute to a rotation at the next level, even if he doesn't end up rising to the level of a starting big.
There might be a higher ceiling with Quaintance, who has the potential to turn into a Kenneth Faried type. But for a much higher floor, you go with Reed.
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