Kentucky Has Just 1 Player Projected to Go Early in NBA Draft

The 2026 NBA Combine has come and gone, and now, it’s that exciting time in the year when the anticipation builds towards the NBA draft.

Kentucky often has multiple players expected to go early in the NBA draft, but this year, there’s really just one on the radar. That player is center Jayden Quaintance.

In a mock draft from NBC Sports published on Monday, May 18, Raphielle Johnson and Kurt Helin have Quaintance going at No. 14 in the draft to the Charlotte Hornets. Also, note that the next big date on the schedule is May 27, which is the withdrawal deadline day for college athletes who want to retain their eligibility.

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“Being limited to four games this past season due to his premature return from a torn ACL makes Quaintance one of the bigger mysteries in this draft class,” Johnson states of the player. “When healthy, he's an athletic rim protector who also runs the floor extremely well. While Moussa Diabaté played well enough to earn the starting center role, and Ryan Kalkbrenner was in the rotation as a rookie in Charlotte, it never hurts to add more frontcourt depth.”

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My Take: Jayden Quaintance is a Safe Pick for the Hornets

The Hornets don’t have the luxury of being able to take risks in the NBA draft, and Quaintance is a safe pick that will likely bring a stable presence to the team. He’s not expected to blow up and be the next Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but sometimes what matters more is that Quaintance should be a reliable center to add strong depth to their roster.

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 10:09 AM.