Prospect Profile
One of the youngest players in all of college basketball, Quaintance will play the entirety of his freshman season at Arizona State as a 17-year-old due to reclassifying in high school. As such, he will have to spend two seasons at this level before making the jump to the NBA due to just missing age eligibility for the 2025 NBA Draft.
Quaintance is expected to be among the top prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft. Standing at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and sturdy frame, he’s well-developed already for his age. He plays an explosive brand of basketball, punishing the rim with ferocious dunks anytime he gets close to the basket. Quaintance is extremely physical and has the ability to dominate as an undersized center. In fact, there’s reason to believe he could play either frontcourt spot at the next level. He is a phenomenal rebounder who leverages his vertical pop well on the glass.
The Arizona State freshman has great touch near the basket and also as a jump shooter. He may not be the most proven shooter today, but all signs point to Quaintance having the ability to knock down more jumpers in the future — even from beyond the arc. When he catches the ball in space, he has the ability to put it on the deck and attack his defender to get to the rim. Quaintance is also a good positional passer which really opens things up for his team offensively.
On the defensive end of the floor, Quaintance will learn a lot playing against college competition at his age. He may struggle at times given the complexity of offenses he will be going up against in the Big 12. But the natural tools and physical traits are there for him on that end once he figures it out — which he has plenty of time to do.
Again, Quaintance won’t be eligible to make his jump to the league until the 2026 NBA Draft due to his age. He was the youngest McDonald’s All-American ever, playing as a 16-year-old during that event so competing against older competition isn’t a new concept to him. While he was originally headed to Kentucky for his college experience, Quaintance ultimately decided that Arizona State was the best for him as he embarks on a unique journey to the NBA.
Quaintance and Peat are guys I really like outside the top-3.
https://www.si.com/nba/draft/prospect-profiles/nba-draft-scouting-report-arizona-state-jayden-quaintance
) plus another 1st round pick from a trade would be a great !!