The Los Angeles Lakers are anticipated to target a big man who can complement and create opportunities for Luka Dončić.
With the Lakers expected to be one of the most aggressive teams during the NBA offseason, several potential targets have already emerged as candidates on their radar.
Which Big Men Could the Lakers Target in the NBA Draft and Free Agency?
According to ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel, Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance could be a potential target for the Lakers if he is still on the board when they make their selection.
Quaintance appeared in four games last season, averaging 5.0 points on 57.1% shooting and 5.0 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game.
Though concerns about his medical history and past injuries have reportedly caused his draft stock to decline, NBA insider Jake Fischer echoed that possibility in “The Stein Line” on Saturday.
“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.”
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Fischer also mentioned another prospect who could draw the Lakers’ attention: UConn center Tarris Reed Jr.
“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 wrote.
For UConn last season, Reed averaged 14.7 points on 60.7% shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks across 35 games while logging 27.3 minutes per game.
He is seen as one of the strongest and most physically imposing big men in this year’s draft class and is capable of contributing immediately as a reserve center or third big in a playoff-caliber rotation.
Fischer also reported on the free agents the Lakers might be pursuing, including Mitchell Robinson, who is fresh off winning the NBA championship with the New York Knicks.
“The Lakers have been linked to all sorts of veteran big men in the forthcoming free agent market as well,” Fischer wrote. “They could emerge as a suitor for the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson and the Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III, although sources say both players are very open to remaining in their incumbent roles with the Knicks and Blazers.”
Robinson is set to become an unrestricted free agent after completing the final season of his four-year, $60 million contract.
The report surfaced shortly after ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed that the Knicks have already begun preliminary discussions with Robinson’s representatives regarding a potential new deal.
Robinson averaged just 3.6 points per game during the NBA Finals, but continued to showcase his value as one of the league’s premier offensive rebounders. He pulled down 10 rebounds in 20 minutes of action in New York’s championship-clinching Game 5 against the Spurs.
As for Williams, he established himself early in his career with the Boston Celtics as an elite rim protector and lob threat. He is now entering free agency and could attract interest from several contenders looking for frontcourt depth in a limited bench role.
Injuries have significantly impacted Williams’ tenure with Portland, but the Trail Blazers consistently performed better on both ends of the floor when Williams was available.
The former Celtics big man is currently playing under the four-year, $48 million contract he originally signed in Boston.
