LOS ANGELES — Tony Bennett has been around the block when it comes to the NBA draft.
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Thirteen of his former players, from his 18 seasons coaching college basketball at Washington State and Virginia, have been selected on draft night. Six of whom landed as first-round draft picks – most notably, the Golden State Warriors drafting Klay Thompson in 2011.
When the Lakers select 25th overall in the first round on Tuesday night at the 2026 NBA Draft, Bennett’s influence on the franchise’s pick will be evident after joining the organization in February as a draft advisor under Rob Pelinka in the front office – a division of the franchise that continues to shift following the ownership transition from the Buss family to Mark Walter last year.
The Lakers are widely expected to target a frontcourt option or a wing, but their ultimate choice will come down to who remains on the board in Brooklyn when commissioner Adam Silver announces that the Lakers are on the clock. The uncertainty of who may be available is where Bennett’s eye, and voice, could make a difference.
“I think where Tony comes into play, not just with the draft, is having coached a lot of these players that are in the NBA right now,” said ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks. “I do think there’s some strength to that from the scouting standpoint. From where they’re picking, certainly in the 20s, I think there’s more value because you’re trying to look for an under-the-radar type player.”
During the Lakers’ end-of-season press conference back in May, Pelinka highlighted Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell as proof that identification and development can make a difference even with lower picks in the draft. Mitchell, who was a second-round selection in the 2024 NBA Draft out of UC Santa Barbara, was prominent in sending the Lakers packing in the second round in a series sweep.
Where the Lakers could make headway when preparing for the season ahead – with decisions on Austin Reaves and LeBron James, among others, still to come – is by striking on the edges of the organization to help bolster depth to match up against Western Conference favorites, the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.
“I think depth is really important, athleticism and youth,” Pelinka said May 12. “We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it.”
Pelinka added later during that May press conference: “We have to continue to find young talent and develop them in terms of the resources that Jeanie (Buss) and Mark (Walter) are providing for us, that’s an area that they really want us to grow.”
Marks said the beauty of ownership transition is the expansion of resources and personnel in the room for the Lakers.
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“Sixty million or $50 million in cap space is not as appealing as it maybe was in 2010,” Marks said. “I think that’s where, whether it be from analytics or from scouting, the ability to fit pieces into the puzzle with that amount of money is where you’ll probably see more value than in the draft.”
Jerry Hairston Jr., a television analyst for Spectrum SportsNet LA’s baseball coverage, was amid his first of two seasons with the Dodgers in 2012 when Guggenheim Baseball Management – where Walter serves as controlling partner – purchased the franchise for a then-record $2.15 billion from Frank McCourt.
Hairston said that over the last decade-plus of being involved with the Dodgers, whether as a player or an on-screen personality, he’s watched as the team has evolved, conducting its due diligence from scouting, analytics, player development, marketing and more to ensure no stone is unturned in baseball and business.
The Dodgers have spent a lot of money to bring in top players, Hairston said, but the team’s success has also come from building a foundation through the amateur draft, despite drafting at the end of the first round more often than not.
“They’re going to use that type of knowledge from the whole landscape of the baseball world to the basketball world, and make sure they put their best foot forward,” Hairston said of the Lakers, where Dodgers special advisor Farhan Zaidi and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman have provided insights since the ownership transition.
When it comes to who the Lakers could select, ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo highlighted Connecticut big man Tarris Reed Jr. and North Carolina center Henri Veesaar as possibilities – adding a more-experienced background, close-to-NBA-ready skillset to the Lakers’ frontcourt depth. Reed shares an agency with Jake LaRavia and Austin Reaves.
“I’m guessing that’ll be kind of a best (player) available thing for them,” Woo said last week. “I think a lot of the teams in the 20s right now are trying to figure out who’s going to be there. I think 25 is right around where the talent pool kind of drops into that next tier of guys.”
Post options could include Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. or Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance if they are available. Cenac is widely seen as a development prospect, while Quaintance is recovering from lingering knee injuries suffered at Arizona State more than a year ago.
If drafting a wing is preferred, mock drafts around the league have pointed to Texas guard Dailyn Swain and Duke guard Isaiah Evans as potential selections should the Lakers shift away from the frontcourt.
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