By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
European youngsters highlighted the opening night of the 2026 NBA Draft, presented by State Farm, headlining a prominent international presence during Tuesday’s first round at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Spain’s Aday Mara emerged as the first player taken from the Old Continent, later joined by compatriot Sergio de Larrea, whom the New York Knicks selected with the 25th overall pick. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets heavily targeted German talent by securing Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. with the 14th and 18th picks, respectively.
The international narrative continued as the Milwaukee Bucks selected 19-year-old forward Nate Ament 13th overall, a Virginia native who holds eligibility to represent Italy in FIBA competitions. Adding to the global flavor, the Sacramento Kings completed a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers to select first-generation American forward Alex Karaban at number 29, a prospect born to Eastern European immigrants with deep ancestral and familial ties to Ukraine and Belarus.
Front offices shook up the draft board through more rapid-fire deals reported by ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania. The Memphis Grizzlies orchestrated a complex strategy by trading down from their original 16th slot to 21st, eventually landing Mexican prospect Karim Lopez while stockpiling five future second-round picks from the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs aggressively moved up to acquire the 26th selection from the Denver Nuggets, parting with their 35th pick and a pair of future second-round assets.
NBA Draft 2026 selections
| Pick | Team | Player Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington Wizards | AJ Dybantsa | United States |
| 2 | Utah Jazz | Darryn Peterson | United States |
| 3 | Memphis Grizzlies | Cameron Boozer | United States |
| 4 | Chicago Bulls | Caleb Wilson | United States |
| 5 | Los Angeles Clippers | Keaton Wagler | United States |
| 6 | Brooklyn Nets | Mikel Brown Jr. | United States |
| 7 | Sacramento Kings | Darius Acuff Jr. | United States |
| 8 | Atlanta Hawks | Kingston Flemings | United States |
| 9 | Dallas Mavericks | Morez Johnson Jr. | United States |
| 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | Brayden Burries | United States |
| 11 | Golden State Warriors | Yaxel Lendeborg | United States |
| 12 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Aday Mara | Spain |
| 13 | Milwaukee Bucks | Nate Ament | United States |
| 14 | Charlotte Hornets | Hannes Steinbach | Germany |
| 15 | Chicago Bulls | Dailyn Swain | United States |
| 16 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Bennett Stirtz | United States |
| 17 | Detroit Pistons | Ebuka Okorie | United States |
| 18 | Charlotte Hornets | Christian Anderson Jr. | Germany |
| 19 | Toronto Raptors | Allen Graves | United States |
| 20 | San Antonio Spurs | Jayden Quaintance | United States |
| 21 | Memphis Grizzlies | Karim Lopez | Mexico |
| 22 | Philadelphia 76ers | Labaron Philon Jr. | United States |
| 23 | Atlanta Hawks | Zuby Ejiofor | United States |
| 24 | Los Angeles Lakers | Cameron Carr | United States |
| 25 | New York Knicks | Sergio de Larrea | Spain |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | Tarris Reed Jr. | United States |
| 27 | Boston Celtics | Chris Cenac Jr. | United States |
| 28 | Brooklyn Nets | Joshua Jefferson | United States |
| 29 | Sacramento Kings | Alex Karaban | United States |
| 30 | Dallas Mavericks | Koa Peat | United States |
The two-day event shifts focus to Wednesday at the same venue, where teams will execute the 30 selections of the second round.
Several European prospects remain on the board for franchises, including Germany’s Jack Kayil, Spain’s Baba Miller, Estonia’s Henri Veesaar, France’s Zacharie Perrin, and Serbia’s Milos Uzan.
Make