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.”
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.