With the 2026 NBA Draft over a month away, three clear needs have emerged for the Los Angeles Lakers: athleticism, defense and 3-point shooting.
Enter UNC’s Henri Veesaar, who checks all those boxes and then some for any contender with a first-round pick. The fact that he boasts those traits at 7 feet tall is an encouraging sign for the Lakers, who are looking high and low for centers as their offseason gets underway.
Lakers May Have Perfect Prospect in UNC’s Henri Veesaar
Veesaar’s Stats and Skills
A 7-foot junior who spent this past season at Chapel Hill after transferring from Arizona, Veesaar has commanded attention as a two-way stretch big. In 31 games (all starts) this year, he averaged a career-best 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 60.8% shooting from the field and 42.6% from deep. He earned All-ACC second team honors for his efforts and later made the ACC’s All-Tournament squad. Veesaar ended his campaign with a 28-point, 17-rebound showing in UNC’s upset loss to VCU in the NCAA Tournament.
Veesaar is a fundamentally sound big man who can score from the post and perimeter, defend the rim and make impressive reads for his size. He’s a great roll man and lob threat, though he can also call his own number with occasional drives to the rim. For a Lakers team in dire need of bigs—especially next to elite playmakers—it’s no wonder why recent mocks have him going west with the 25th pick.
Rob Pelinka on Lakers’ 2026 Draft Needs
At last week’s end-of-season press conference, president/GM Rob Pelinka discussed the kind of traits the Lakers are looking for in draft prospects:
“We really want [those traits] to line up with coach [JJ Redick] and his vision for the overall roster. We’ve had discussions around the archetype of guy. Game processors, highly competitive, basketball IQ, team-first players. So, continuing to find young players and develop the mindset is the first thing. Getting the right players with the right mindset, and then developing the basketball side.”
Veesaar’s Mindset Aligns With Lakers’ Goals
In his remarks to the media during the NBA Draft Combine, Veesaar reflected on his decision to declare for the draft rather than return to the Tar Heels.
“I honestly think getting thrown into the fire is the best way to learn. I feel like I had that as a freshman in college. I feel like I had the same one going to Real Madrid when I was 15. You get thrown into practice with players that are older than you, better than you, more experienced than you. So you learn a lot quicker.”
Veesaar also said he looks forward to learning from NBA veterans: “I get to go there. I get to be a sponge. Soak in all the information. … Just being able to have all that extra time and information and resources that are available to you, I think it’s gonna help me grow in basketball quicker.”
That sort of mentality is precisely what Pelinka and the Lakers are looking for. Throw in his skills and experience—developing under a renowned international powerhouse and playing in two of college basketball’s toughest conferences—and Veesaar is a prime candidate for LA if he remains in their range.
How Veesaar Could Affect Lakers’ Center Rotation
If predictions hold true and the Lakers land Veesaar, he would have plenty of knowledge to gain from the team’s stars and role players, including Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton should either of them stick around. But if one or both of them depart in free agency, Veesaar could at least make an interesting backup five, harboring the tools and intelligence to boost the team’s frontcourt. And in a time of uncertainty across the roster, drafting a 22-year-old center for the Luka Doncic era is an absolute no-brainer for the purple and gold.
Veesaar is far from the only prospect connected to the Lakers. However, all signs point to him being one of their best options as they strive for sustained excellence and add to a promising young core.
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