Lakers May Have Found Their Ideal Big Man in 2026 NBA Draft

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ season isn’t over, but it’s as close to over as it can be without being officially eliminated and drinking cocktails in Cancun.

L.A. is down 3-0 to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, and Luka Doncic seems to have played his last game of the season over a month ago in the regular season.

With a slew of questions hanging over the Lakers going into the offseason, like whether LeBron James will stay or go and whether Austin Reaves will be re-signed, one of the big ones for L.A. is their issue at the center position.

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Jaxson Hayes has established himself as a strong depth piece off the bench, but he isn’t good enough to be a starter for a title-contending team. They hoped Deandre Ayton could revitalize himself, and though there were stretches, he ultimately floundered when it mattered the most.

After Ayton got benched in Game 3, it’s pretty obvious the Lakers are open to looking for a big man to complement Doncic, and there might be a perfect player in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Henri Veesaar of Estonia, who most recently played for North Carolina, is a 7-foot big man who grew up in the Real Madrid academy system, like Doncic.

Veesaar was a monster around the rim this last season on a so-so Tar Heels team, and can even step back and shoot from long range if needed. Although not a polished prospect at all when it comes to defense, Doncic’s passing around the basket could unlock the 22-year-old into an immediate threat in the offseason as a rookie.

The only problem? The Lakers are No. 25, and there’s a strong possibility that Veesaar could go earlier than when L.A. could pick the big man.

Still, though, if the Lakers see the value in the offensive giant and believe he could be Doncic’s center of the future, a trade-up doesn’t seem out of the question for an L.A. team that will be aggressive this summer.

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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 11:10 PM.