International Wing Prospect Karim Lopez Erupts in Win Against Melbourne

The 2026 NBA Draft class has been touted as one of the best in recent memory.

With players like Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Kingston Flemings, Caleb Wilson and others showing their skill sets in the NCAA, there are a number of young prospects for teams to be excited about this summer.

Alongside what could be a historic freshman class of prospects, there are a few international players who could factor into the first round of the upcoming draft. One of those prospects is Karim Lopez, who is originally from Mexico but plays in Australia's highest professional basketball league, the NBL.

Lopez, who is currently 18-years-old but will turn 19 before draft day, recently had a massive performance in the New Zealand Breakers' 97-95 win against Melbourne United. The talented wing player notched 32 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, a steal and just one turnover while shooting 11-of-13 from the field, 1-of-2 from 3-point range and 9-of-12 from the free throw line in the victory.

Wake up to an awesome Karim Lopez performance, 32 points with 19 in 4th to beat Melbourne by 2. Looking more like a big handler, an archetype NBA loves. More shotmaking off his own dribble than usual in this one. Continues to initiate contact and finish after at 18 y/o in NBL. pic.twitter.com/zxHxoDjdVc
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) January 30, 2026

Lopez wasn't the only potential 2026 NBA Draft pick who saw action in Friday's contest, though. Dash Daniels, the younger brother of the NBA's reigning Most Improved Player award winner Dyson Daniels, logged around five and a half minutes on the floor, finishing with a pair of rebounds.

Daniels hasn't found the same success that Lopez has this season, but may still have the upside to be a 2026 prospect.

Lopez, on the other hand, has a strong chance to be the first player who isn't coming from the NCAA to be selected in the upcoming draft.

Playing alongside Izaiah Brockington and Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who both briefly spent time in the G League after playing NCAA basketball, Lopez has shined for the Breakers this season. The potential lottery pick is averaging 12 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.2 steals and a block per game while shooting 50.6% from the field, 32.2% from beyond the arc and 72.4% from the charity stripe.

Listed at 6-foot-8 and close to 225 pounds, Lopez has good size on the wing that, coupled with his production in the NBL this season, could vault him into the lottery this summer.

In a recent mock draft for NBA Draft on SI, Derek Parker paired Lopez with the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 11 overall. With a few more performances similar to his showing against Melbourne, Lopez could cement his status as a borderline top-10 pick.

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