MIAMI (United States) - For years, young players have shined in FIBA competitions before taking the next step toward reaching the NBA. On Tuesday and Wednesday, many of those rising stars learned where they will begin (or continue) their professional careers during the 2026 NBA Draft. Many of the players selected in the 2026 NBA Draft previously represented their national teams in FIBA competitions. Of the 60 players drafted, 46 came from the Americas region. Here is a closer look at the stars of the 2026 NBA Draftees from the Americas region that have made their presence known in recent FIBA competitions.
AJ Dybantsa (USA)
2026 NBA Draft Pick: 1st overall, Washington Wizards FIBA Accolades: 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup MVP, 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup All-Star Five Medals: 3 The No. 1 overall pick entered the NBA Draft after starring at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025, where he earned MVP honors while leading the United States to the gold medal. Dybantsa helped the United States significantly by averaging 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game on 50.0 percent shooting. The 2007-born star was a year younger than a bulk of the competition. A summer earlier, Dybantsa was one of the best players at the U17 World Cup, being named to the All-Star Five after helping the USA win their seventh consecutive title. He averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals on 58.7 percent shooting. He made his USA Basketball debut at the U16 AmeriCup in 2023, where he averaged 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists en route to a gold medal.
Darryn Peterson (USA)
2026 NBA Draft Pick: 2nd overall, Utah Jazz FIBA Accolades: 2023 FIBA U16 AmeriCup All-Star Five Medals: 1 Peterson has represented the USA only once in FIBA competition, but he immediately established himself as one of the tournament's top players. In helping the United States win a gold medal, Peterson posted 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.3 steals on an incredible 66.7 percent shooting from the floor. The future Kansas Jayhawk ranked fifth in the competition in both points and assists per game, as he scored in double figures in each contest to earn All-Star Five honors. He scored 22 points in the semi-final against Puerto Rico.
Cameron Boozer (USA)
2026 NBA Draft Pick: 3rd overall, Memphis Grizzlies Accolades: 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup MVP, 2023 U16 AmeriCup MVP Medals: 2 Every time Boozer has represented the USA, he has walked away with MVP honors. He first helped his team qualify for the FIBA U17 World Cup 2024 by excelling at the U16 AmeriCup in 2023, joining forces with Dybantsa and Peterson. Boozer dominated the competition in Mérida, averaging 16.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game with a 58.8 percent field goal percentage to help earn gold. A summer later, he was once again the star for the Americans, as he took his game to another level to help secure his second gold medal at the U17 World Cup in 2024. He ranked second in the competition with 20.1 points per game and fourth in rebounds with 9.9 rebounds per game, while adding 2.1 assists and 2.7 steals per contest.
Mikel Brown Jr. (USA)
2026 NBA Draft Pick: 6th overall, Brooklyn Nets Accolades: 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup All-Star Five, 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup All-Star Five Medals: 2 Over the past two years, Brown has asserted himself as one of the top talents among his generation for USA. In back-to-back summers, he won gold medals while earning All-Star Five honors. At the FIBA U19 World Cup 2025 last summer, Brown averaged 14.9 points and 6.1 assists per game, ranking fifth among all players. He led USA in both categories. The year prior, Brown made his national team debut and averaged 10.3 points and 5.2 assists at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in 2024. He was the highest drafted player from that year’s FIBA U18 AmeriCup squad during the 2026 NBA Draft.
Darius Acuff Jr. (USA)
2026 NBA Draft Pick: 7th overall, Sacramento Kings Accolades: 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup MVP Medals: 1 Like Darryn Peterson, Acuff Jr. represented USA only once, but he made the most of the opportunity. After averaging 17.8 points per game, fourth-most in the competition, alongside 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2024, Acuff Jr. led his team to their 11th title in the competition and earned MVP honors. In the final against Argentina, he tabbed a team-high 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists. In his one-and-done year with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Acuff Jr. was a consensus First-Team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year.
Karim Lopez (MEX)
2026 NBA Draft Pick: 21st overall, Memphis Grizzlies Accolades: 2022 FIBA U15 CentroBasket All-Star Five Medals: 1 Lopez made history by becoming the first Mexican-born player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. The milestone follows an impressive international career that has already seen Lopez represent Mexico at both the youth and senior levels. Lopez first emerged onto the scene at the FIBA U15 Centrobasket in 2022, where he helped Mexico earn a bronze medal by logging 15.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. With the result, Mexico qualified for the FIBA U16 AmeriCup in 2023, where Lopez upped his level even more. He led the entire competition with 20.5 points per game and ranked second with 12.2 rebounds per game. He also averaged 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game. Since then, Lopez has appeared as a rotational piece for the senior national team. He made his debut at the senior level in 2024, when Mexico played in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico. He also played five games in the FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers in 2025.
Koa Peat (USA)
2026 NBA Draft Pick: 30th overall, Phoenix Suns Accolades: 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup All-Star Second Team, 2022 U17 World Cup All-Star Five Medals: 4 Peat has already secured a unique place in FIBA history. He is the first player in FIBA history to win two FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup golds, as well as win three Youth World Cup crowns. Peat first appeared for USA in 2022 at the U17 World Cup, when he earned All-Star Five honors by averaging 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists despite being one of the tournament’s youngest players. He returned for the red, white and blue for the FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2023, where he averaged 17.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists to help USA win gold and qualify for the FIBA U17 World Cup 2024. In that competition one year later, Peat made the All-Star Second Team after posting 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists en route to a gold medal. To cap off his youth career, Peat won his fourth gold medal at the U19 World Cup 2025.
The Others
Four additional players who were selected in the 2026 NBA Draft have suited up for USA:
Morez Johnson Jr. – 9th overall, Dallas Mavericks 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup Nate Ament – 13th overall, Milwaukee Bucks 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup Jayden Quaintance – 20th overall, San Antonio Spurs 2023 FIBA U16 AmeriCup Chris Cenac Jr. – 27th overall, Boston Celtics 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup
FIBA