By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A final wave of green room invitations has brought the official total to 20 players expected to hear their names called early at Barclays Center during the 2026 NBA Draft, presented by State Farm.
This coveted status, determined by voting on the top draft prospects, serves as a strong indicator of first-round security. Headlining the European contingent within this select group is dominant Spanish center Aday Mara, a locked-in lottery target for Michigan sporting an eye-popping 2.97-meter standing reach.
As reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Woo on Monday, he is joined by German freshman Hannes Steinbach, a Washington frontcourt standout who secured his place during the latest round of invites, and dynamic Texas Tech playmaker Christian Anderson Jr., who boasts dual German-American citizenship.
The second wave of players invited to the NBA draft green room, per sources:
Cameron Carr
Chris Cenac Jr.
Yaxel Lendeborg
Morez Johnson Jr.
Hannes Steinbach
Bennett Stirtz— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) June 15, 2026
These top-tier prospects lead a highly refined field of 31 early entrants, as officially confirmed by the league on Monday. The total is down sharply from previous years due to lucrative name, image, and likeness collegiate compensation.
In addition to the 35 non-international players from colleges and three international players who had previously withdrawn their names from consideration as early entry candidates for the NBA Draft 2026, three additional international players who had previously declared as early… pic.twitter.com/yBjgmqKRdf
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 15, 2026
While several international players chose to withdraw before the final deadline, including Serbian center Pavle Backo, a resilient group of European professionals remains declared. This includes Valencia’s oversized Spanish point guard Sergio de Larrea, projected as a first-round lock, and physical ALBA Berlin combo guard Jack Kayil, the Basketball Champions League Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, Best Young Player.
The remaining pool is further bolstered by Mallorca native Baba Miller, developmental Russian guard Vsevolod Ishchenko, and SLUC Nancy’s physical wing Mohammad Amini. Additionally, fluid Estonian stretch-forward Henri Veesaar remains in the collegiate selection pool, while collective bargaining rules automatically enter French big Zacharie Perrin.
The two-day event will be held on June 23 and 24.
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