Kentucky has extended a scholarship offer to the son of an 18-year NBA veteran, who also happens to be a top-5 prospect in the class of 2026. 

On Wednesday, the Wildcats offered Los Angeles (Calif.) Westchester 5-star small forward Tajh Ariza. 

Ariza (6-8, 180), who is ranked No. 3 overall in the 2026 class by 247Sports, is the son of long-time NBA player Trevor Ariza, who who an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and also spent time with the Knicks, Magic, Rockets, Hornets, Wizards, Suns, Kings, Trailblazers, and Heat over the course of his near 20-year pro career.

Ariza was named California Mr. Basketball before going on to who played one season at UCLA, where he was named the the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team before being selected in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft. 

The younger Ariza has already made quite the name for himself, also earning early offers from the likes of Arizona State, Arkansas, Kansas, UCLA, UNLV, USC, and Washington among others. He is just the seventh prospect in the 2026 class to receive an offer from Kentucky and fourth from the state of California, where the Wildcats are expected to have an increased presence following the hire of Los Angeles native and former USC assistant Jason Hart. 

“In the class of 2026, Tajh Ariza has been a notable standout thus far,” 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote of Ariza at the USA Basketball U17 trials in Colorado Springs back in June. “The jumbo wing is showing off big-time athleticism in the open floor, been flying at the glass as a perimeter rebounder, and providing a consistent shooting threat from beyond the arc. This selection process is based on who can help win a gold medal in the coming weeks, but when it comes to long-term upside, Ariza’s has been glaring.”

Playing alongside fellow Kentucky recruiting targets Tounde Yessoufou and Jason Crowe Jr., Ariza averaged 5.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game for Team Why Not while playing up on the Nike EYBL 17U circuit this travel season.