Jayden Quaintance is widely viewed as a guaranteed lock to enter his name into the 2026 NBA Draft, but one notable college basketball writer isn’t fully convinced.
Kyle Boone of CBS Sports projected the entire first round in an updated version of the mock draft he released on Friday. Not only did Boone have Quaintance outside of the lottery, but he also believes the 6-foot-10 sophomore is likely to return for another college season. Boone projects him as the 29th overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves if JQ does ultimately declare.
“It’s turned into a lost season at Kentucky for Quaintance, who has appeared in only four games,” Boone wrote. “I’d be a bit surprised if he didn’t come back to school. But if he stays in the draft he’d be a tremendous late-first value for a team like Minnesota, giving them a young defensive monster in the frontcourt to build around.”
Quaintance’s father, Haminn, reposted the article on his social media, saying, “He (Boone) will definitely be surprised.”
Following surgery to repair a torn ACL in March 2025, Quaintance made his Kentucky debut on December 20 against St. John’s, posting 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in 17 minutes. After appearing in three more games for the Wildcats, the 18-year-old has not seen the floor since January 7 as he deals with knee soreness/swelling. It doesn’t sound like he’ll be back any time soon, either.
“He continues to make progress. He is not ready right now. He’s not ready, and we’re not going to roll him out there till he’s 100 percent — and he’s a ways from that,” Head coach Mark Pope said last week. “We haven’t incorporated him back into practice, so that’s complicated. I don’t know how optimistic I am about that.”
Looking at other NBA mocks released this month, ESPN and Bleacher Report have both moved Quaintance down their boards. ESPN has JQ as the 18th-best prospect, while Bleacher Report has him going 10th overall to the Milwaukee Bucks. But this is the first time we’ve heard a national writer suggest a return to college in 2026-27 — whether that be at Kentucky or somewhere else — was on the table for the talented big man.