Lakers' 1st-round NBA Draft pick may benefit from surprise UNC decision

Lakers' 1st-round NBA Draft pick may benefit from surprise UNC decision originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking at a first-round pick late in the top-30 in the 2026 NBA Draft.

That doesn't mean they can't find a key addition, and in one mock draft, they're helped in a big way by a UNC decision.

ESPN's Jeremy Woo has his projection in a new mock draft on Tuesday for what the Lakers will do at the 25th overall pick -- Henri Veesaar of North Carolina.

Veesaar wasn't necessarily expected to leave school this year, but he appears to have gotten positive feedback already.

A 7-foot tall center from Estonia, Veesaar has a well-rounded game both inside and outside the arc.

"Veesaar comes off a productive season at North Carolina and will offer sheer size and viable shooting (42.6% from 3) in a draft that has become light on true centers," Woo writes. "He has above-average athleticism and offensive skill for his size and should also be able to hold up defensively in drop coverage. The functionality he offers on both ends should allow him to plug into a rotation next season."

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The Lakers' offseason will have more attention on what LeBron James decides to do with his future.

That doesn't mean the draft doesn't matter, though. The Lakers need to get their first-round pick right.