MUNICH (Germany) — The upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend will, once again, have a distinct European flavor, with five players selected for the All-Star Game, including former MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic.
Meanwhile, young standouts Alex Sarr, Matas Buzelis, Egor Demin, Ajay Mitchell and Yanic Konan Niederhauser earned spots in the Rising Stars Challenge.
While Europe's stars shine on the brightest stage, the next wave is already on the rise.
In our third annual 20 Under 20, we take on the near-impossible task of identifying the European prospects who are already making their presence felt with international clubs, college programs and NBA teams.
The selections are made taking into account career achievements, current impact and long-term potential. The only rule, as the name suggests, is that players must be born in 2006 or later to be eligible.
The list is not ranked, with players presented in alphabetical order.
Christian Anderson - Germany
Guard
Birth Date: April 2, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 1.88m (6ft 2in) Club: Texas Tech Red Raiders (NCAA - USA)
As a freshman, Anderson was a key piece for Texas Tech during the team's Elite Eight run. He followed that with a silver medal and an All-Star Five nod at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025. This season, however, Anderson has taken yet another leap, becoming one of the best players in the entire college game, averaging 19.6 points per game and ranking in the top three in assists per game in the NCAA.
Anderson has developed into an all-around offensive weapon who can make plays for teammates, finish around the basket with an advanced level of touch and craftiness, and, especially, convert jumpers both off the catch and off the dribble, as he's shooting 43.6 percent from three on nearly 8 attempts per game.
Anderson is yet to make his debut with the German senior national team, but his status as one of the top players in college basketball makes him not only a projected first-round pick in this year's NBA Draft, but also someone who should make an impact for the reigning FIBA Basketball World Cup champions pretty soon.
Neoklis Avdalas - Greece
Small Forward
Birth Date: February 04, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 2.06m (6ft 9in) Club: Virginia Tech Hokies (NCAA - USA)
One of the most intriguing long-term prospects in Europe, Avdalas left Peristeri and signed with the Virginia Tech Hokies ahead of the 2025-26 season, where his unique profile as a 2.06m primary playmaker has put him on NBA radars. Avdalas' combination of size, crafty ball-handling ability, and advanced passing vision allows him to create advantages against smaller defenders and find teammates all over the court. The flashes of shooting are also intriguing, as he has shown the ability to convert jumpers off the dribble.
While there are areas for improvement and he could be more consistent, the flashes are tremendous, and Avdalas, who already made his debut with Greece during the FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers, could be the key piece that makes the difference for his national team in the future.
Joan Beringer - France
Center
Birth Date: November 11, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 2.11m (6ft 11in) Club: Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA)
Beringer has had a meteoric rise, going from the U21 league in France to the NBA in just two seasons. The 19-year-old was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of last year's NBA Draft and has alternated between sporadic regular-season appearances backing up Rudy Gobert and impactful performances with the Timberwolves' G League affiliate.
Beringer plays within his role as an interior finisher and rim protector and possesses truly elite physical tools with his size, length, and mobility, which allow him to run the floor, move laterally, and elevate with power for rebounds, blocks, and dunks.
Only the third youngest player in the NBA this season, Beringer has definitely shown enough flashes during this season despite his lack of playing time that it's easy to envision him quickly developing into a rotational NBA center and a potential piece for the immensely crowded French frontcourt of the future.
Egor Demin
Guard
Birth Date: March 3, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 2.04m (6ft 8in) Club: Brooklyn Nets (NBA)
Recently named to the NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge, Demin has been given the nod as a starter for the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets at just 19 years old and has performed well in his role as a jumbo-sized point guard. The former Real Madrid prospect is averaging 10.5 points and 3.4 assists per game, providing value with his combination of size and playmaking for others.
The shooting, however, has been the biggest surprise. After hitting just 27.3 percent of his three-pointers in his lone season of college basketball, Demin is shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range as an NBA rookie on 6.3 attempts per game.
With his rookie season off to an impressive start and the Nets still in an early stage of rebuilding, Demin could develop into a future cornerstone for Brooklyn.
Noa Essengue - France
Power Forward
Birth Date: December 18, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 2.08m (6ft 10in) Club: Chicago Bulls (NBA)
Selected with the 12th pick in last year's NBA Draft, Essengue saw very little playing time with Chicago but was especially impactful with the Bulls' G League affiliate, where he averaged 23 points and 8.2 rebounds before a left shoulder injury in early December ruled him out for the rest of the season.
The second-youngest player in the NBA this season, Essengue has an intriguing profile as a 2.08m forward who can finish plays around the basket as a cutter or transition target, but he's even more impressive with the ball in his hands, as he's able to attack the paint with an impressive combination of speed and power.
It will be interesting to see how Essengue bounces back once he's back on the court next season, but his combination of size, mobility, and ability to put pressure on the rim could make him an offensive threat for both the Bulls and the French national team.
Diego Garavaglia - Italy
Power Forward
Birth Date: April 04, 2007 (18 years old) Height: 2.00m (6ft 7in) Club: Ratiopharm Ulm (GER)
Garavaglia has been one of the top two-way prospects in Europe for a number of years. He has been a staple of Italy’s youth national teams, including their silver medal run at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024, where he also finished second in blocks per game.
Now in his first season with Ulm in the German first division, Garavaglia has continued to make an impact with his positional size, ability to attack the basket with power, and especially with his versatile defense, which allows him to create stops and force turnovers both around the basket and out on the perimeter.
There's room for improvement for the Italian wing, especially with the jumper, which hasn't fallen this season at the same rate it did in his recent FIBA youth appearances, but Garavaglia's size and defensive impact make him a high-floor player who could become a long-time contributor for Italy.
Hugo Gonzalez - Spain
Forward
Birth Date: February 5, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 1.99m (6ft 6in) Club: Boston Celtics (NBA)
Gonzalez was selected near the end of the first round of last year's NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics after a standout career in the junior ranks of both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. In his rookie NBA season, the Spanish wing has been earning more and more minutes, improving seemingly every game. Gonzalez's calling card has been his defense, as he’s able to cover multiple positions and defend both on and off the ball, but the 20-year-old has also made an impact offensively as a cutter, transition target, and spot-up shooter.
Gonzalez, who already made his debut with the Spanish senior national team, is still a ways away as an offensive creator, but he has the makings of a long-term NBA and national team contributor with his toughness, high defensive motor and off-ball scoring.
Cameron Houindo - France
Power Forward
Birth Date: January 10, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 2.04m (6ft 8in) Club: KK Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (SLO)
The former MVP of FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2024, Houindo had another impressive summer in 2025 as a key piece in France's second-place finish at FIBA U18 EuroBasket, where he played one year up in age. The now 18-year-old made the move to Cedevita Olimpija ahead of the 2025-26 season, where he has been dominant with the junior team and has made a strong impression in his appearances for the main squad, utilizing his unique combination of size and athleticism to impact the game as an interior scorer, transition finisher, and rim protector.
Houindo has been considered one of the top players in the 2008 generation for years and has maintained that status throughout his club and youth national team career. Still one year away from being draft-eligible, he could be just scratching the surface of his potential.
Kasparas Jakucionis - Lithuania
Forward
Birth Date: May 29, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 1.95m (6ft 5in) Club: Miami Heat (NBA)
Jakucionis made an impact for Illinois during his lone NCAA season, leading his team in points and assists as a freshman and earning All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors before being selected by the Miami Heat in last year's NBA Draft. During his rookie NBA season, Jakucionis has settled into a backup point guard role for the Heat, where he's able to utilize his combination of size, advanced passing vision, and versatile shooting to create shots for both his teammates and himself.
Jakucionis is yet to make his debut with the Lithuanian senior squad, but he should be one of the cornerstones of his national team's future. If he can improve his efficiency as a scorer around the basket, he should have a long, productive NBA career.
Jack Kayil - Germany
Point Guard
Birth Date: January 27, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 1.91m (6ft 3in) Club: ALBA Berlin (GER)
Kayil has been part of one of Germany's most successful youth generations, earning a medal in each of the four FIBA youth competitions he played in, including the FIBA U18 EuroBasket title in 2024. After a season with Mega Basket in the Adriatic League and earning his first call-ups to the senior national team, Kayil returned to Germany to play for ALBA Berlin, where he has broken out in a major way during the 2025-26 season, averaging 12.3 points and 3.6 assists per game.
The 20-year-old possesses a versatile profile as a guard who can create his own shot via jumpers and drives to the basket, while also being able to create for teammates on a secondary level and contributing off the ball.
Kayil made a strong impression during his senior national team debut in the FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers and repeated the feat during his World Cup Qualifier appearances last November, and seems to be developing into an important piece of the future for the current World Cup champions.
Nikola Kusturica - Serbia
Shooting Guard
Birth Date: April 30, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 2.02m (6ft 8in) Club: FC Barcelona (ESP)
At just 16 years old, Kusturica has already positioned himself as one of the best long-term prospects in Europe. He had a breakout performance at last year's FIBA U16 EuroBasket, where he was named MVP after leading Serbia to its first title since 2007, and has been a steady contributor for Barcelona's junior squad this year in Liga U. The 2.02m wing has tremendous fluidity and speed with the ball in his hands, making him a constant mismatch for opposing defenders trying to contain him.
His moments of tough shotmaking from the perimeter and his defensive productivity have also been not only impressive, but extremely valuable for his teams. It's still early, but Kusturica has all the makings of a future NBA first-round pick and a difference-maker at the wing position for Serbia with his elite size, offensive skill set, and defensive production.
David Mirkovic - Montenegro
Forward
Birth Date: January 6, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 2.05m (6ft 9in) Club: Illinois Fighting Illini (NCAA - USA)
Mirkovic signed with Illinois ahead of the 2025-26 season, entering the NCAA ranks with two full seasons of experience in the Adriatic League. That experience seemed to have paid off, as he became an instant contributor for the Illini, averaging 12.4 points per game, leading the team in rebounds with 8.2 per game, and shooting 36.1 percent from three.
The selling point for Mirkovic is his combination of size, fluidity, and touch from multiple levels of the floor. Standing at 2.05m, the Montenegrin forward is able to convert tough jumpers off the dribble as well as contested shots through contact around the basket.
His size also allows him to dominate the glass, and he has shown the vision to make plays for teammates out of the post. With his combination of size, versatile scoring, and productivity as a rebounder, it's easy to see why Mirkovic is on NBA radars: he should develop into the centerpiece of Montenegro's national team for the foreseeable future.
Miikka Muurinen - Finland
Forward
Birth Date: March 04, 2007 (18 years old) Height: 2.10m (6ft 11in) Club: Partizan KK (SRB)
One of the most hyped prospects in Europe, Muurinen went from junior-level standout to key piece for the senior national team in Finland's historic fourth-place finish at last year's FIBA EuroBasket, where he was also named the Rising Star. Muurinen is hard to miss on the court, dazzling with a combination of high-flying athleticism, fluid ball-handling, and defensive productivity that few players at his age and size possess.
The Finnish forward left the U.S. high school ranks to sign with Partizan ahead of the 2025-26 season, and despite limited playing time in Serbia, he has shown in his appearances with Finland that he's one of the highest-ceiling prospects in Europe.
Mario Saint-Supery - Spain
Guard
Birth Date: April 14, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 1.90m (6ft 3in) Club: Gonzaga Bulldogs (NCAA - USA)
Saint-Supery played an important role for Spain during last year's FIBA EuroBasket, averaging 8.4 points and 2.8 assists in just 17 minutes per game while providing solid scoring and secondary playmaking off the bench. During the 2025-26 season, he's reprising that role in his freshman year at Gonzaga, making an impact with his playmaking for others, his ability to score with and without the ball, and especially his three-point shooting, as he's converting 45.7 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Saint-Supery has been a well-known name in scouting circles for nearly half a decade and has lived up to the hype of being the "next great Spanish guard" at every step of his young career. With valuable professional, college, and national team experience under his belt at just 19 years old, he already looks like Spain's point guard of the future.
Ben Saraf - Israel
Guard
Birth Date: April 14, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in) Club: Brooklyn Nets (NBA)
Saraf was selected in the first round of last year's NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets after a productive professional career in Europe and a series of brilliant performances for Israel in FIBA youth competitions. He stood out at FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2022, finishing as the competition’s leading scorer, and topped that performance in 2024 when he was named MVP of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket after averaging 28.1 points, 5.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 steals, including a pair 40-point games that propelled Israel to the semifinals.
During his rookie NBA season, Saraf has yet to fully find his footing in Brooklyn but has shown impressive flashes, especially with the Nets' G League affiliate in Long Island, where his 1.98m size, versatile scoring package, and ability to create for teammates have been on full display. Saraf, who already made his debut with Israel during the FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers, should develop into a long-term answer on the wing for the senior national team and could be an interesting complement next to All-Star forward Deni Avdija.
Dame Sarr - Italy
Guard
Birth Date: June 04, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 2.03m (6ft 8in) Club: Duke Blue Devils (NCAA - USA)
A standout for Italy and Barcelona's youth teams over the past few years, Sarr enrolled at Duke ahead of the 2025-26 season, where he has played a supporting role on a roster stacked with future NBA talent. Sarr has added value for the Blue Devils with his 2.03m size and athleticism, which allow him to impact the game as a transition finisher and versatile defender. Offensively, he has mostly played off the ball as a cutter and spot-up shooter.
Still just 19 years old, Sarr has plenty of time to grow at the college level. With his physical profile and two-way impact, he should develop into an impactful player for Duke and a future difference-maker for Italy.
Nathan Soliman - France
Power Forward
Birth Date: May 14, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 2.03m (6ft 8in) Club: Pole France (FRA)
Despite his young age, Soliman has been a well-known name in scouting circles for several years. He played two years up in age for France's bronze-medal team at FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2023 and has since become a staple of the youth national teams, earning an All-Star Five nod at last year's U16 EuroBasket. Soliman possesses a tremendous combination of size, fluid ball-handling ability, and tough shot-making, which allows him to get to his spots and convert contested shots around the basket or pull-up jumpers from the perimeter.
He also impacts the game with his passing on the move and especially with his defense, using his size, length, and mobility to generate stops on the perimeter and serve as a secondary rim protector in the paint.
With his performances for the French youth national teams and Pole France, Soliman has established himself as one of the top players in the 2009 generation. He’s certainly one of the most intriguing long-term prospects in Europe and could develop into a first-round NBA pick in the coming years.
Hannes Steinbach - Germany
Forward
Birth Date: May 1, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 2.11m (6ft 11in) Club: Washington Huskies (NCAA - USA)
Steinbach was a major factor in Germany's recent youth-level success, earning All-Star Five honors and serving as a key piece in both the team's FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 title and FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 silver medal run. After a solid season with s.Oliver Baskets in the German league, Steinbach signed with the Washington Huskies, where he has developed into one of the most dominant players in college basketball as a freshman, currently averaging 17.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, with the latter ranking third in the NCAA.
As the reigning EuroBasket and World Cup champions, Germany is in the midst of its most successful era of basketball, but it's never too early to think about the next generation. With Steinbach's ability to score around the basket, rebound, and protect the rim, Germany appears to be set at the center position for years to come.
Luigi Suigo - Italy
Center
Birth Date: January 29, 2007 (19 years old) Height: 2.16m (7ft 1in) Club: BC Mega Basket Beograd (SRB)
Suigo has been a standout for Italy's youth national teams in recent years and has positioned himself as a potential NBA Draft pick selection in his first full season at the professional level with Mega Basket. Suigo is absolutely massive, standing at 2.16m, and is an obvious factor as a rim protector and rebounder. His game, however, has also grown over the past few years, as he possesses a mix of size, coordination, and offensive polish that allows him to convert tough shots around the basket while also showing flashes as a three-point shooter.
Suigo already made his debut for Italy during the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, and with his size and ability to impact the game in the paint on both ends of the floor, he should become a key piece for Italy and eventually take over as the starting center for the Azzurri.
Nolan Traore - France
Point Guard
Birth Date: May 28, 2006 (19 years old) Height: 1.91m (6ft 3in) Club: Brooklyn Nets (NBA)
Traore was selected in the first round of last year's NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets after a standout youth career in Europe and a stint at the professional level with Saint-Quentin, where he led the team to the French league playoffs and was named Best Young Player in the Basketball Champions League. Traore began the 2025-26 season primarily with the Nets' G League affiliate, but since the turn of the year he has been given increased offensive responsibilities, recently taking over as the starting Point Guard for the Nets.
France has an abundance of young talent in the frontcourt, and Traore, with his ability to get to the basket, convert off-the-dribble jumpers, and especially create shots for others, has all the tools to develop into the point guard of France's next generation.
Honorable Mentions
Compiling a list always means making tough decisions, and 20 spots are simply not enough to cover all the talented players across Europe. Some of the toughest omissions on include:
Savo Drezgic (Serbia) was the toughest cut and the first player off the list. He's having a tremendous season with Mega in the Adriatic League, and the fact that he's not included speaks to the sheer strength of the 2006 generation of European prospects.
Michael Ruzic (Croatia) is a similar case: a skilled 2.10m forward who has been a standout prospect for Joventut with his combination of size, interior scoring, and three-point shooting. He's on his way to a long and successful career in the pros.
Adam Atanma (France) has taken a leap and is now a starter for ASVEL in the French league, where he has contributed as a secondary scorer and playmaker. He's a strong candidate to appear on this list next year.
Hugo Yimga Moukouri (France) has made an impact with his interior finishing and three-point shooting in his first professional season with Nanterre. Moukouri is one of the top players in the 2008 generation and a name I anticipate will make this list next year.
Finally, Aaron Ona Embo (Belgium) and Omer Kutluay (Türkiye) are two more names who have shined at the junior level and are highly ranked in the 2009 generation. They will be making waves for years to come.
FIBA