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The Grizzlies picked New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez with the No. 21 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Memphis traded down from No. 16 to No. 17 and then again from No. 17 to No. 21 and eventually took Lopez. The Mexican forward started his professional career with Joventut Badalona before spending two seasons with the Breakers.
Lopez was the Grizzlies' second pick of the draft after they took Duke's Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 overall pick.
Here are three things to know about Lopez.
Lopez was born in Mexico and moved to Spain when he was a teenager to pursue a professional career. He's now the first Mexican-born player to ever be taken in the first round of the draft. He's just the second Mexican-born player to be drafted after Eduardo Nájera in 2000. Nájera was taken in the second round, No. 38 overall, by the Houston Rockets.
Lopez's father, Jesús Hiram López, was also a basketball player and played for the Mexican national team.
The 6-foot-9, 225-pounder averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 season, where he played for the Breakers in the NBL. He scored a career-high 32 points on Jan. 30 against Melbourne United.
In 2024-25, his first season with the Breakers, he played alongside 7-6 center Tacko Fall. That might help him adjust to playing with 7-3 Grizzlies center Zach Edey.
Lopez is only 19 and won't turn 20 until spring 2027.
The NBL has been a pathway for young players to start their professional careers before coming to the NBA. The Next Stars program has attracted players who went on to become NBA draft picks like LaMelo Ball, Alexandre Sarr, Josh Giddey, Rocco Zikarsky and now Lopez.
Lopez scored 358 points in 2025-26, the most ever by a draft-eligible player in the program.
Despite his age, he has three years of professional basketball experience at a high level. He started his career at Badalona, the Spanish club where Ricky Rubio made his professional debut when he was only 14 years old. Lopez didn't play much, but he was part of a team that played in the EuroCup. In 2023, he was on the bench when Badalona faced Paris Basketball — which was coached by now-Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What to know about Grizzlies draft pick Karim Lopez, Mexican-born forward
Continue reading...
Memphis traded down from No. 16 to No. 17 and then again from No. 17 to No. 21 and eventually took Lopez. The Mexican forward started his professional career with Joventut Badalona before spending two seasons with the Breakers.
Lopez was the Grizzlies' second pick of the draft after they took Duke's Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 overall pick.
Here are three things to know about Lopez.
He's the first Mexican-born player to be drafted in the first round
Lopez was born in Mexico and moved to Spain when he was a teenager to pursue a professional career. He's now the first Mexican-born player to ever be taken in the first round of the draft. He's just the second Mexican-born player to be drafted after Eduardo Nájera in 2000. Nájera was taken in the second round, No. 38 overall, by the Houston Rockets.
Lopez's father, Jesús Hiram López, was also a basketball player and played for the Mexican national team.
Lopez was productive during the 2025-26 season
The 6-foot-9, 225-pounder averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 season, where he played for the Breakers in the NBL. He scored a career-high 32 points on Jan. 30 against Melbourne United.
In 2024-25, his first season with the Breakers, he played alongside 7-6 center Tacko Fall. That might help him adjust to playing with 7-3 Grizzlies center Zach Edey.
Lopez is only 19 and won't turn 20 until spring 2027.
Lopez comes from the NBL Next Stars program
The NBL has been a pathway for young players to start their professional careers before coming to the NBA. The Next Stars program has attracted players who went on to become NBA draft picks like LaMelo Ball, Alexandre Sarr, Josh Giddey, Rocco Zikarsky and now Lopez.
Lopez scored 358 points in 2025-26, the most ever by a draft-eligible player in the program.
Despite his age, he has three years of professional basketball experience at a high level. He started his career at Badalona, the Spanish club where Ricky Rubio made his professional debut when he was only 14 years old. Lopez didn't play much, but he was part of a team that played in the EuroCup. In 2023, he was on the bench when Badalona faced Paris Basketball — which was coached by now-Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What to know about Grizzlies draft pick Karim Lopez, Mexican-born forward
Continue reading...
