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Mexican prospect Karim Lopez has declared for the 2026 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Monday.
The No. 11 player on ESPN’s big board, Lopez spent the past two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian NBL.
“It’s been my dream and my goal my whole life to play in the NBA,” Lopez told ESPN. “Honestly, since I can remember. I was probably like 5 years old, making drawings of myself playing in the NBA. … It’s pretty special, you know, to be in this position right now.”
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Lopez, who turns 19 on April 12, averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 49% shooting from the field this season in 25.6 minutes per game. A 6-foot-9 forward with perimeter skill, he set several marks for draft-eligible NBL Next Stars, including the single-season points record, totaling 358 in his 30 starts. He tied 2025 draftee Alex Toohey’s record for total steals and blocks with 66.
The Breakers went 14-20, but they won the NBL’s inaugural Ignite Cup (regular-season tournament) in February, with Lopez playing a key role on a veteran-led team. Coming off a summer back injury, he took a step forward in his second NBL season, with his 32-point game in a Jan. 30 win over Melbourne as the high point.
“[The NBL] was a lot of learning in both years, a great chapter of my life,” Lopez said. “I think once I was completely healthy, [this season] took off in the right direction. Obviously, I would have liked to make the playoffs, but winning the Ignite Cup was big time. I’m really happy about the experience I gained, all the preparation.”
NBA scouts have been drawn to Lopez’s combination of positional size, 7-1 wingspan, ball skills, playmaking flashes and toughness — a blend of traits teams tend to covet in the draft. His perimeter shooting and physical explosiveness are areas to improve heading into the predraft process.
“I want to show NBA teams who I am,” Lopez said. “Playing in a grown man league, it’s not easy. But there’s things I feel like people haven’t seen yet.”
The top-ranked international prospect on ESPN’s draft rankings, Lopez is projected to become the first player born in Mexico to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. Lopez, whose father is former Mexican national team player Jesús Hiram Lopez, moved to Spain at age 14 to join Spanish club Joventut Badalona before going to the Breakers in 2024.
“A goal of mine is to hopefully reach young people in Mexico,” said Lopez, who was born in Hermosillo, Mexico. “Trying to grow the sport and inspire athletes and people in general to follow their dreams. Show people that it doesn’t matter where you’re from.”
The NBA draft combine will take place May 10-17 in Chicago. The draft will be held in late June.
