By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2026 NBA Draft, presented by State Farm, concluded on Wednesday night at the Barclays Center, wrapping up a two-day event that culminated in the 30 selections of the second round. Following Tuesday’s opening round, the evening combined a massive influx of international talent and rapid-fire front-office maneuvering, with European prospects dictating the draft board.
Spanish basketball experienced a historic night, fueled heavily by the Los Angeles Clippers selecting Spain’s Baba Miller with the 36th overall pick. Born in Mallorca, the 22-year-old small forward developed within the prestigious Real Madrid youth system before moving to the United States. His selection marked the first time since 2009, and only the second time in NBA history, that three Spanish players were chosen in the same draft, following first-round selections Aday Mara and Sergio de Larrea.
The Atlanta Hawks also tapped into the Madrid pipeline by completing a trade with the Clippers, sending cash considerations and the 57th pick to secure the 52nd selection. They used the pick on agile Estonian stretch-forward Henri Veesaar, who rebounded from early injury setbacks at Arizona before transferring to North Carolina. Veesaar’s selection marks the first time an Estonian player has been drafted into the NBA since 1996. The Clips used their newly acquired 57th pick to draft 21-year-old French center Narcisse Ngoy.
The New York Knicks orchestrated a trade with the Houston Rockets. They dealt the 31st and 55th picks in exchange for the 39th and 53rd selections, along with a 2029 second-round pick via the Sacramento Kings. With the 39th pick, they selected German combo guard Jack Kayil. The Berlin native, who opted out of his commitment to Gonzaga to stay in the draft pool, arrives with an impressive resume as the Best Young Player of both the Basketball Champions League Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, and Germany’s easyCredit BBL. Kayil is expected to join the defending champions immediately for the 2026–27 Regular Season. Meanwhile, the Knicks traded the 53rd pick to the Detroit Pistons for cash considerations.
European ties and international heritage influenced several other selections throughout the second round. The Sacramento Kings used the 45th pick on Emanuel Sharp, who previously represented Israel in the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019. British prospect Tobi Lawal joined the Dallas Mavericks as the 48th overall pick. The Mavs also acquired the 56th selection from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for cash, using it to draft Russian guard Vsevolod Ishchenko. The Lakers had briefly acquired that 56th pick earlier in the night by sending cash to the Chicago Bulls.
Family roots and previous overseas experience played a prominent role in several domestic selections. Otega Oweh, whose mother was born in London, went 41st overall, while Tyler Bilodeau, who possesses French and German roots, was taken with the 43rd pick. The Clippers remained active late into the night, sending cash considerations to the Rockets to secure the 55th selection, which they used on Nick Martinelli, a player boasting deep Italian roots. With the final pick of the night, the Milwaukee Bucks selected Malique Lewis 60th overall, a prospect who spent 2021 through 2023 playing for Urbas Fuenlabrada in Spain’s Liga Endesa.
The draft’s final shifts were facilitated by minor asset trades. The Miami Heat secured the 37th pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder by returning the 41st selection and cash. The Orlando Magic traded the 46th pick to the Washington Wizards in exchange for the 51st and 60th selections, with the Wizards later sending that 60th pick to the Bucks for cash.
Despite the deep international field, several notable global prospects ultimately went unselected. France’s Zacharie Perrin, Iranian wing Mohammad Amini, who spent time playing in France for AS Monaco and SLUC Nancy, and Milos Uzan, whose father is of Serbian descent, all bypassed the draft board and will look to carve their paths as undrafted free agents.
NBA Draft 2026 selections
| Pick | Team | Player | 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 | Dallas Mavericks | 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 Kara-ban | United States |
| 30 | Phoenix Suns | Koa Peat | United States |
| 31 | Houston Rockets | Bruce Thornton | United States |
| 32 | Memphis Grizzlies | Richie Saunders | United States |
| 33 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Isaiah Evans | United States |
| 34 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Meleek Thomas | United States |
| 35 | Denver Nuggets | Trevon Brazile | United States |
| 36 | Los Angeles Clippers | Baba Miller | Spain |
| 37 | Miami Heat | Ryan Conwell | United States |
| 38 | Indiana Pacers | Braden Smith | United States |
| 39 | New York Knicks | Jack Kayil | Germany |
| 40 | Boston Celtics | Dillon Mitchell | United States |
| 41 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Otega Oweh | United States |
| 42 | San Antonio Spurs | Ja’Kobi Gillespie | United States |
| 43 | Brooklyn Nets | Tyler Bilodeau | United States |
| 44 | San Antonio Spurs | Maliq Brown | United States |
| 45 | Sacramento Kings | Emanuel Sharp | Israel |
| 46 | Washington Wizards | Felix Okpara | Nigeria |
| 47 | New York Knicks | Tyler Nickel | United States |
| 48 | Dallas Mavericks | Tobi Lawal | Great Britain |
| 49 | Denver Nuggets | Bryce Hopkins | United States |
| 50 | Toronto Raptors | Jaden Bradley | United States |
| 51 | Orlando Magic | Izaiyah Nelson | United States |
| 52 | Atlanta Hawks | Henri Veesaar | Estonia |
| 53 | Detroit Pistons | Ugonna Onyenso | Nigeria |
| 54 | Golden State Warriors | Lajae Jones | United States |
| 55 | Los Angeles Clippers | Nick Martinelli | United States |
| 56 | Dallas Mavericks | Vsevold Ishchenko | Russia |
| 57 | Los Angeles Clippers | Narcisse Ngoy | France |
| 58 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jaron Pierre Jr. | United States |
| 59 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Trey Kaufman-Renn | United States |
| 60 | Milwaukee Bucks | Malique Lewis | Trinidad and Tobago |
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