Photo: NBA Summer League/X

Karim Lopez, widely viewed as the top international prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft, has confirmed he will enter the draft, he told ESPN on Monday. The 19-year-old forward is on track to potentially become the first Mexico-born player ever selected in the first round.

“It’s been my dream and my goal my whole life to play in the NBA,” Lopez told ESPN. “It’s pretty special to be in this position right now.”

Ranked No. 11 on ESPN’s Big Board, Lopez spent the past two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s NBL.

This season, he averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field in 25.6 minutes per game, also setting the NBL Next Stars single-season scoring record with 358 points.

At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Lopez stands out to NBA scouts for his size, skill, playmaking, and toughness, though his perimeter shooting and explosiveness remain areas to develop.

“I want to show NBA teams who I am,” Lopez said. “There’s things I feel like people haven’t seen yet.”

Born in Hermosillo, Mexico, and the son of former national team player Jesus Hiram Lopez, he moved to Spain at 14 to join Joventut Badalona before heading to the Breakers in 2024. He hopes his path can inspire others.

“A goal of mine is to hopefully reach young people in Mexico,” Lopez said. “Show people that it doesn’t matter where you’re from.”

The NBA Draft Combine will take place May 10–17 in Chicago, with the draft set for late June.

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