NBA Draft 2026: International storylines

Below are some notes on international players at the

2026 NBA Draft

.

> Round 1: June 23, 8 ET | ABC/ESPN

(Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.)

> Round 2: June 24, 8 ET | ESPN

> International Players in the NBA

A

record 135 international players

from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents were on opening-night rosters last season.

Among the record 135 international players were a record 71 Europeans, including a record 19 players from France and a record four from the UK, as well as a record-tying 13 from Australia.

Opening-night rosters featured at least 120 international players for the fifth consecutive season and at least 100 international players for the 12

th

straight season. All 30 NBA teams featured at least one international player.

Canada (23 players) was the most-represented country outside the U.S. for the 12

consecutive season, followed by France, Australia, Germany (7) and Serbia (6).

Four international players have won the last eight Kia NBA MVP Awards: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece; ties to Nigeria).

Last season marked the fifth consecutive season that three international players finished top three in MVP voting: Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokić and Victor Wembanyama (France).

Four international players – Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokić, Wembanyama and Luka Dončić (Slovenia) – were named to the 2025-26 Kia All-NBA First Team, marking the sixth consecutive season that at least three international players were named to the All-NBA First Team.

Between international and American-born players, there were more than 55 players who were either born in Africa or have at least one parent from Africa, including Antetokounmpo, Embiid, and Pascal Siakam (Cameroon).

> Global Reach of the NBA Draft

The 2026 NBA Draft will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 45 languages on television, digital media and social media.

A record 27 international players were selected in the 2016 NBA Draft, including a record 15 in the first round.

At least 10 international players have been selected in the NBA Draft every year since 2000.

At least two international players have been selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft every year since 2013.

Twenty-three international players from 15 countries were selected in the 2025 NBA Draft (12 in the first round and 11 in the second round), including a record six players from France.

Fifteen international players have been selected first overall in NBA Draft history.

> Africa

–

Felix Okpara

(Nigeria; University of Tennessee)

If Okpara is selected 30

overall or higher, he would be the highest drafted player from Nigeria since Precious Achiuwa was selected 20

overall in 2020.

If Okpara is selected 40

overall or higher, he would be the highest drafted player from Nigeria since James Nnaji was selected 31

st

overall in 2023.

Okpara earned 2025-26 SEC All-Defensive Team honors as a senior in his second season at the University of Tennessee.

He ranks second in program history in blocks per game at 1.6 and is one of four Tennessee players to record multiple 50-block seasons.

Okpara finished third in the SEC in blocks during the 2024-25 season, averaging 1.7 per game, and ranked seventh in 2025-26 at 1.5 per game.

Prior to Tennessee, Okpara played two seasons at Ohio State. In 2023-24, he ranked 11

nationally in blocks, averaging 2.4 per game.

Okpara grew up playing soccer and picked up basketball shortly before moving to the U.S. in August 2018.

Ugonna Onyenso

(Nigeria; University of Virginia)

[SEE RELEVANT ITEMS ABOVE RE: Okpara]

If Okpara and Onyenso are both drafted, it will mark the second time that two players from Nigeria were selected in the same NBA Draft (Precious Achiuwa and Udoka Azubuike in 2020).

Onyenso attended NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal from 2019-21. If selected, he will become the third NBA Academy Africa alumnus and 15

NBA Academy alumnus overall to be drafted into the NBA.

At 17 years old, Onyenso became the youngest player ever to suit up for the Nigerian senior national team.

The Owerri-born center first picked up basketball after a local coach pulled him away from soccer, then spent three years at NBA Academy Africa before relocating to Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut.

There he averaged 13.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game as Putnam rolled to a 20-0 record.

A five-star recruit, he committed to Kentucky. After two seasons in Lexington and a transfer stop at Kansas State, Onyenso landed at Virginia for his senior year and broke out. His efforts earned him a spot on the ACC All-Defensive Team and the ACC All-Tournament First Team as the Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

> Europe

Aday Mara

(Spain; University of Michigan)

If Mara is selected 14

overall or higher, he would be the highest drafted player from Spain since Ricky Rubio was selected fifth overall in 2009.

If Mara is selected between 15

and 22

nd

overall, he would be the highest drafted player from Spain since Juan Hernangómez was selected 15

overall in 2016.

Mara participated in the 2023 Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star in Salt Lake City, Utah and 2022 Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Milan, Italy. He was named an All-Star at both camps.

After two years at UCLA, Mara transferred to Michigan and blossomed into the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Big Ten Third Team selection.

He made only nine starts for the Bruins but became a full-time starter and defensive anchor at Michigan, averaging 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 blocks.

In nine total tournament games, Mara was better offensively, averaging 15.0 points while shooting 76.2 percent from the line.

The big man was an integral part of the Wolverines winning the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments, which hadn’t happened in the same year since Michigan State won both in 2000.

Sergio de Larrea

(Spain; Valencia Basket)

[SEE RELEVANT ITEMS ABOVE RE: MARA]

If de Larrea and Mara are both selected in the first round, it would be the first time since 2021 and the fourth time overall that two players from Spain were selected in the first round of the same NBA Draft (Usman Garuba and Santi Aldama in 2021).

de Larrea participated in the 2022 Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Milan, Italy, where he was named a camp All-Star.

de Larrea burst onto the scene by helping Spain capture gold at the 2023 FIBA U-19 World Cup.

The Valladolid native grew up around the game, with both parents having played the sport in Spain, and he funneled that DNA into Valencia Basket’s youth academy.

He climbed the ladder fast, logging time with Valencia’s U-18 and reserve squads before a stretch with CB L’Horta Godella, then made his senior EuroLeague debut for Valencia at just 17.

After turning down college offers from the U.S., he settled in as Valencia’s point guard and put together a polished 2025-26 campaign, averaging 7.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 14.3 minutes per game while shooting 45.0/40.9/81.2.

He capped the season with the Spanish Supercup title, Supercup MVP honors and a spot on the All-Liga ACB Young Players Team.

Baba Miller

(Spain; University of Cincinnati)

[SEE RELEVANT ITEMS ABOVE RE: MARA AND DE LARREA]

If Mara, de Larrea and Miller are all selected, it would mark the first time since 2009 and second time ever that three players from Spain were selected in the same NBA Draft.

At 17 years old, Miller made his EuroLeague debut for Real Madrid, capping a youth career that began at age 12.

Born in Mallorca and developed in Madrid, he won the 2020-21 EuroLeague Next Generation Tournament before averaging 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds for Real Madrid’s B team in 2021-22.

In 2022, he committed to Florida State as one of the top international prospects in his class.

His college path took him through three schools, from Florida State to Florida Atlantic to Cincinnati, and the Bearcats are where it clicked. As a senior, Miller put up 13.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in 31.8 minutes per game.

He earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors, made the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team and landed on the NABC East District Second Team.

He also helped Spain win the 2023 FIBA U-19 World Cup, starting in the final and chipping in 11 points and five rebounds.

Hannes Steinbach

(Germany; University of Washington)

If Steinbach is selected seventh overall or higher, he would be the highest drafted player from Germany ever.

If Steinbach is selected 17

overall or higher, he would be the highest drafted player from Germany since Franz Wagner was selected eighth overall in 2021.

Steinbach began playing for Wurzburg in Germany in the 2024-25 season, during which he averaged 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 61.0 percent from the floor in 18.6 minutes over 31 games.

Following his time in Germany, where he was born to former German professional Burkhard Steinbach, the 20-year-old joined the University of Washington for the 2025-26 campaign.

Over 30 appearances for the Huskies, he averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 57.7 percent from the field.

Jack Kayil

(Germany; Alba Berlin)

[SEE RELEVANT ITEMS ABOVE RE: STEINBACH]

If Steinbach and Kayil are both selected, it would mark the first time since 2024 that two players from Germany were selected in the same NBA Draft (Tristan da Silva and Ariel Hukporti).

Kayil participated in the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star in Indianapolis, Indiana and the 2023 Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Wroclaw, Poland, where he was named a camp All-Star.

Kayil joined Franz Wagner and Dennis Schröder this past season as one of the youngest players ever to win the German Bundesliga’s Best Young Player award, putting him in rare company.

The Berlin native came up through Alba Berlin’s youth academy before signing with SC Rasta Vechta in 2023, where he won a second straight German U-19 title and took MVP honors at the final tournament.

He stacked international hardware along the way, claiming U-16 EuroBasket gold in 2022, U-18 EuroBasket bronze in 2023 and U-18 EuroBasket gold in Tampere in 2024.

After a one-year stop with KK Mega Basket in the ABA League, Kayil returned home to Alba Berlin for 2025-26. Holding his own against grown professionals at just 19, he posted 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 21.1 minutes per game

He also led Germany to a silver medal at the 2025 FIBA U-19 World Cup, averaging 11.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game.

Kayil swept Bundesliga Best Young Player and FIBA Basketball Champions League Best Young Player honors and earned All-FIBA Basketball Champions League Second Team recognition.

Henri Veesaar

(Estonia, University of North Carolina)

If Veesaar is selected, it would mark the first time that a player from Estonia was drafted since 1996, when Martin Muursepp was selected 25

If Veesaar is selected 24

overall or higher, he will become the highest drafted player from Estonia ever.

Veesaar made his senior debut for the Estonian national team at age 17, suiting up against Iceland in the summer of 2021 as a product of Real Madrid’s renowned youth academy.

He left Madrid for Tucson in May 2022, joining Arizona as a developmental project with rare size and skill. His breakthrough came in 2024-25 when he stepped into a bigger role, averaging 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds and earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.

He transferred to North Carolina for his junior season and erupted, averaging 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game and racking up 13 double-doubles along the way.

He took home Second-Team All-ACC honors and earned a spot on the NABC South Atlantic District First Team before declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Noam Yaacov

(Israel; Filou Oostende)

If Yaacov is selected eighth overall or higher, he would be the highest drafted player ever from Israel.

If Yaacov is selected 25

overall or higher, he would be the highest drafted player from Israel since Deni Avdija was drafted ninth overall in 2020.

If Yaacov is selected, it would mark the first time that a player from Israel was selected in consecutive NBA Drafts (Ben Saraf was drafted 26

overall in 2025 by the Brooklyn Nets).

At 13, Yaacov left Denmark and moved to Israel, settling in with his grandparents to chase a basketball dream.

The bet paid off fast, as he signed a EuroLeague contract with ASVEL at 16 and became a fixture in Israel’s junior pipeline.

He earned an All-Star 5 selection at the 2022 U-18 European Championship, where he put up 19.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists over seven games, then took home a silver medal and an All-Tournament nod at the 2023 U-20 Euros.

He won an Israeli Cup in 2023 and a EuroCup title in 2025. But it was his breakout 2025-26 season with Oostende that turned heads when he averaged 17.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 24.9 minutes per game.

Tobias Jensen (Denmark; Ratiopharm Ulm)

If Jensen is selected, it would mark the first time that a player from Denmark was drafted since 2004, when Christian Drejer was selected 51

If Jensen is selected in the first round, it would mark the first time that a player from Denmark is selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

If Jensen is selected 50

overall or higher, he would become the highest drafted player from Denmark ever.

Jensen has earned recognition at both the international and professional levels. He was named to the All-Star Five at the 2021-22 FIBA U-18 European Championship Division B after averaging 13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.

He was also named the 2025-26 EuroCup Rising Star.

At the club level, he won the 2022-23 German League championship with Ratiopharm Ulm.

Vsevolod Ishchenko

(Russia; Lokomotiv Kuban)

If Ishchenko is selected, it will mark the second time ever that at least one player from Russia was selected in consecutive NBA Drafts (Egor Dёmin selected eighth overall in 2025 by the Brooklyn Nets).

Ishchenko made his name early in Russia’s youth basketball system, earning two VTB Youth April MVP awards while dominating the junior ranks for Lokomotiv Kuban-2, where he averaged 16.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals in 30.0 minutes per game as an 18-year-old.

That production earned him a promotion to Lokomotiv Kuban’s senior roster in the VTB United League, where he spent a limited 2024-25 season learning the pace and physicality of professional basketball.

The jump came in 2025-26. Across 43 games for Lokomotiv Kuban, Ishchenko averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 23.7 minutes per game on 51.6%/46.3%/80.1% shooting splits.

He was named a VTB United League All-Star and took home the league’s Young Player of the Year award.

Tobi Lawal

(UK; Virginia Tech)

If Lawal is selected 45

or higher, he would be the highest drafted player from the UK since Jeremy Sochan was drafted ninth overall in 2022.

Lawal did not pick up a basketball until he was 16, growing up in London and starring for the City of London Academy before crossing the Atlantic.

At Lee Academy Prep, he was dominant, averaging 14.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.0 steals while shooting 67% from the floor.

He started his college career at VCU, then transferred to Virginia Tech, where his game took off. As a senior, he posted 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game on 54%/25%/76% shooting splits.

He made 17 starts in 23 appearances and piled up six double-doubles, seventh-most in the ACC, including two 15-rebound nights.

He recorded a career-high five blocks vs. Louisville and led the Hokies in rebounding for a second straight season.

Along the way, he earned Fort Myers Tip-Off All-Tournament honors and a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team.

> Latin America

Karim López

(Mexico; ties to Spain; New Zealand Breakers)

If López is selected in the first round, he would become the first Mexican-born player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

If López is selected, he would become the first Mexican-born player to be drafted since 2000, when Eduardo Najera was selected 39

Born in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, to a father who played for the Mexican national team, López grew up in Mexico before heading to Spain at the age of 14 to play professionally.

After mainly playing for Joventut Badalona’s youth team in Spain, the 6-foot-8 forward headed to New Zealand, where he spent two years and most recently appeared in 30 outings for the New Zealand Breakers in 2025-26.

He averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 25.6 minutes per showing for the Breakers last season.

> Middle East

Mohammad Amini

(Iran; ties to Monaco; Nancy Basket)

If Amini is selected 53

rd

overall or higher, he would be the highest drafted player ever from Iran.

If Amini is selected, he will be the second player from Iran to be selected in the NBA Draft (Arsalan Kazemi was drafted 54

overall in 2013)

Amini moved through the Monaco youth system before joining SLUC Nancy in the LNB Elite, France’s top professional league.

In 2023, he participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star in Salt Lake City, Utah, and represented Iran’s senior national team in the World Championship, leading the squad with 13.2 points per game.

Amini also stood out during the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, highlighted by a 33-point outing against India in February.

In his second full season with Nancy’s senior team in 2025-26, Amini averaged 7.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists across 24 games.