Los Angeles holds the No. 25 pick — its own first-round selection — and Bleacher Report projects the Lakers to select North Carolina’s Henri Veesaar, a 7-footer with legitimate shooting range and smart interior instincts who addresses what has been a persistent and increasingly urgent problem at the center position.

The Lakers hold only the one pick here. Jaxson Hayes is headed for unrestricted free agency, and Deandre Ayton’s contract and inconsistent production have made the center spot a legitimate organizational priority. Los Angeles doesn’t have cap space to pursue elite center talent in free agency, making the draft the most efficient path to upgrading this position at a manageable cost.

Veesaar is a 7-foot-and-a-half-inch junior from North Carolina who has shot 42.6 percent from three over his collegiate career — a figure that is nearly impossible to ignore for a center with legitimate rim-protection instincts. He’s not a high-usage scorer; his production comes on efficient opportunities rather than manufactured ones. He’s a smart passer who reads the floor, a finisher who converts lob opportunities and drop-offs at a high rate, and a mobile defender for his size who can switch pick-and-rolls without being a complete liability.

The fit in Los Angeles is significant. LeBron James — should he remain a Laker — and Anthony Davis operate as the focal points of every offensive set. What they need from a center is a catch-and-finish threat who spaces the floor, sets functional screens, and doesn’t demand possessions he won’t get. Veesaar’s skill profile checks those boxes precisely, and his shooting makes him deployable in the small-ball lineups Los Angeles increasingly relies on.

The player immediately after Veesaar at No. 25 is Allen Graves, who goes to Denver at No. 26. Graves is a 6-foot-9 power forward from Santa Clara with elite analytics and emerging three-point shooting — but he’s a forward, not a center, and the Lakers’ most urgent need is at the 5. Veesaar directly addresses the position of maximum organizational pain.

Outlet	Projected Player
Bleacher Report	Henri Veesaar
CBS Sports	Henri Veesaar
Tankathon	Henri Veesaar

CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein places Veesaar in the mid-to-late 20s range across his recent mocks, consistent with the Lakers’ spot. Isaac Trotter also has Veesaar landing with Los Angeles. Tankathon slots Veesaar in the same range. Gary Parrish has him slightly later. Yahoo Sports was not confirmed to project Veesaar to the Lakers’ specific spot in their most recent mock. The broad CBS alignment with BR and Tankathon reflects consistent understanding of both the player’s draft range and the team’s need.

Veesaar represents an organizational bet on shooting from the center position — a bet that has paid dividends for franchises across the league in the modern NBA. Brook Lopez’s career resurgence in Milwaukee was built on this premise. Daniel Gafford’s value in Washington, Karl-Anthony Towns’ production in New York — the ability to extend the defense from the 5 has become one of the most coveted traits in basketball, and Veesaar demonstrates it at a rate that would rank among the best at the position if applied at the NBA level.

Taking Veesaar at No. 25 gives the Lakers a developmental center on a rookie deal who can contribute immediately in a limited but specific role — roll man, floor-spacer, rim-finisher — while growing into a more complete contributor. That’s draft efficiency defined: finding the right player at the right value for a team that needs exactly what he offers. For a franchise operating with LeBron James’s competitive timeline in mind, that kind of smart, specific addition makes this pick a genuine win.