When anyone sits down to envision what the perfect Luka Doncic center looks like, there should be a general consensus among most people. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar thrives with an athletic center who is capable of defending the rim on one end, and operating as a play-finisher on the other.
The tandem of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford that Doncic had during his time with the Dallas Mavericks offered two prime examples of bigs who fit perfectly with the Slovenian superstar. That is not who Henri Veesaar is. Even so, that is who Fansided's Christopher Kline had the Lakers selecting him with the 25th overall pick in his latest NBA Mock Draft following the withdrawal deadline.
Kline wrote, "Veesaar isn't the run-jump athlete we typically associate with a Luka Doncic-coded big man, but he's a skillful finisher with range out to the 3-point line and sharp connective instincts. He can add important offensive wrinkles to the Lakers' frontcourt."
On the other end, Kline added that Veesaar was not a classic rim protector either. However, there was praise to go around for the Tar Heels center when it came to his size and agility providing resistance in the paint. Kline ultimately concluded Veesaar could be an immediate contributor for the Lakers.
Henri Veesaar could offer the Lakers versatility in the frontcourt
If Jaxson Hayes returns as the backup for the Lakers in 2026-27, something that feels quite likely, then Los Angeles would be positioned to fill two holes in the frontcourt around him. They would need a starter, and they would need third-string support.
One would imagine Veesaar is closer to the latter than the former.
That is no slight meant at the 22-year-old either. However, the Lakers need a ready-made center who does satisfy Doncic's typical fit as the starter in Los Angeles.
Even with that being true, Veesaar could still have an impact for the Lakers as a depth option from the jump. The potential addition could give Doncic something akin to what he had with Maxi Kleber, in terms of fit, while bringing more size to the equation.
Perhaps by the end of 2026-27, Veesaar could even leapfrog Hayes in the pecking order off the Lakers bench. That would make his selection at 25 even more valuable.
It is no secret the Lakers will be exploring every option to avoid turning back to Deandre Ayton as the starter next season. Veesaar may not be the answer to that, but he could still strengthen the options up front altogether.
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