With the 2026 Finals over, the NBA draft will really take center stage. Now, with the deadline for international players to decide to remain in the draft or withdraw (June 13), teams can finally get down to finalizing their draft boards.
Analyzing The 9 International Draft Prospects Remaining in the 2026 NBA Draft
Out of 11 international NBA early draft entrants, only five have chosen to remain in the draft. All told, nine international players are draft-eligible, including some automatically eligible players. Who will be selected in the 2026 draft?
Having nine international players remaining in the 2026 NBA draft is shocking, as last year saw a record 25 foreign-born players selected. Some of those players were also college entrants, which will be the case this year as well. However, 13 of the 25 international players selected last year came from international teams.
Mexico’s Karim Lopez is the most notable prospect in this draft, as he is projected to be a potential lottery pick. Spain’s Sergio De Larrea and Germany’s Jack Kayil were always expected to remain in the draft as well.
However, it was a surprise that 7-3 center Luigi Suigo chose to withdraw from the draft. Suigo, who was seen as a late first-round-to-early second-round pick, will attend Villanova this year in hopes of developing into a lottery pick. The 19-year-old spoke with Sky Sports about his decision.
“Unfortunately, two or three days before the draft combine, I sprained my ankle in practice. I couldn’t participate in the drills, which I believe would have significantly raised my draft stock,” Suigo said. “I did a few workouts; I trained with the Wizards, Spurs, and Celtics. They went well. My plan was to remain in the draft if I had a guarantee of being selected within the top 20 picks.”
Another Italian, Francesco Ferrari, also withdrew, while Russian Vsevolod Ishchenko decided to remain in the draft. Serbian Pavle Backo’s decision hasn’t been revealed publicly.
Francesco Ferrari officially withdrawn from the NBA Draft 2026. He had the opportunity to test the waters and interviewed with Detroit, Atlanta, and Milwaukee. Those teams will continue to monitor him closely as he takes on an important role with Virtus Bologna next season.
— Orazio Francesco Cauchi (@paxer89) June 13, 2026
The following is a look at the 5 International Draft Prospects Remaining in the 2026 NBA Draft.
