MUNICH (Germany) - 2025 was yet another prolific year for European prospects in the NBA Draft, with 16 players from 10 different countries hearing their names called.
This year, however, things are a little different, and most experts do not expect this crop of European talent to have the same depth as the classes we saw in 2024 and 2025.
That being said, this class still features plenty of talented players, including multiple projected first-round picks who could make an impact in the NBA as early as next season.
Below is an overview, in alphabetical order, of the 10 European players you need to know ahead of June 23.
Christian Anderson Jr. - Germany
Guard
Birth Date: April 2, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 1.85m (6ft 1in) Team: Texas Tech Red Raiders (USA - NCAA)
One of the winningest players in FIBA youth competitions, Anderson led Germany to the podium in each of his appearances with the national team, including titles at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket and FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division B.
After a silver-medal run with Germany at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup last summer, Anderson took a massive leap during his sophomore year at Texas Tech, where he emerged as one of the top offensive creators in college basketball, averaging 18.5 points and 7.4 assists per game. Anderson Jr. is projected as a first-round pick, and with his elite passing and multi-level scoring ability, it's easy to envision him making an impact in the NBA very early in his career.
Sergio De Larrea - Spain
Guard
Birth Date: December 04, 2005 (20 years old) Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in) Team: Valencia (ESP)
De Larrea has been a key piece for the Spanish youth national teams, including the squad that won the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup title in 2023. Over the past two seasons, the 20-year-old has broken through at the senior level, establishing himself as an efficient rotational piece for Valencia in the Spanish ACB and playing important minutes for the Spanish senior national team at last year's FIBA EuroBasket.
One of the best three-point shooters in this year's draft, De Larrea could be a difference-maker from day one in the NBA thanks to his floor spacing, ideal positional size, and secondary playmaking ability.
Jack Kayil - Germany
Guard
Birth Date: January 27, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 1.96m (6ft 5in) Team: ALBA Berlin (GER)
Kayil has been a key part of Germany's most successful youth generation, playing as a secondary scorer and offensive initiator alongside Christian Anderson Jr. during Germany's title runs at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division B in 2022 and the FIBA U18 EuroBasket in 2024.
After a two-year stint with Mega Basket in Serbia, and already having made his debut with the German senior national team, Kayil returned to Germany to play for ALBA Berlin, where he earned the Best Young Player award in both the Bundesliga and the Basketball Champions League. With his combination of physicality, fluid ball-handling, and shot-making flashes, Kayil could thrive in the NBA as a secondary guard capable of creating shots for both himself and others.
Tobi Lawal - Great Britain
Forward
Birth Date: May 1, 2003 (23 years old) Height: 2.01m (6ft 7in) Team: Virginia Tech Hokies (USA - NCAA)
Lawal has yet to suit up for Great Britain, which is understandable given his basketball journey. A late bloomer, the London native only picked up basketball at 16 years old and quickly began to impress scouts with his size and athleticism. After moving to the United States to play high school basketball, Lawal committed to VCU, where he spent his first two years of college basketball before transferring to Virginia Tech.
There, he established himself as a key starter, leading the team in rebounds and blocks during both seasons he spent with the program. One of the most explosive athletes in the draft, Lawal could be valuable for NBA teams looking for a constant transition and pick-and-roll finishing threat who can also provide value as a rebounder and defender.
Aday Mara - Spain
Center
Birth Date: April 7, 2005 (21 years old) Height: 2.21m (7ft 3in) Team: Michigan Wolverines (USA - NCAA)
Mara emerged as one of the highest-ceiling prospects in Europe through his appearances with the Spanish youth national teams, where he earned silver medals at both the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 and the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2023 while making an impact with his massive size, rim protection, and interior scoring ability.
After developing in the youth ranks of Zaragoza, Mara chose the NCAA route and, following an underwhelming two-year stint at UCLA, played the best basketball of his career this season at Michigan, where he won a National Championship.
With his elite tools, Mara projects as a prolific NBA rim protector, rebounder, and interior scorer who can also operate as a playmaking hub, creating opportunities for teammates: a combination of skills that is as rare as it is valuable in today's NBA.
Baba Miller - Spain
Forward
Birth Date: February 7, 2004 (22 years old) Height: 2.09m (6ft 10in) Team: Cincinnati Bearcats (USA - NCAA)
Miller emerged as one of the most intriguing long-term prospects in Europe during the FIBA U18 European Challengers 2021. He then headed to the NCAA, where after spending time at both Florida State and Florida Atlantic, and playing a role in Spain's FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup title in 2023, he transferred to Cincinnati for his final season of college basketball.
There, he quickly established himself as the team's best player, leading the Bearcats in points, rebounds, and assists. While Miller has not fully developed as a shooter, his elite combination of size, length, and mobility has allowed him to become a difference-maker as a rebounder, rim protector, and defensive playmaker. He should be an option for any NBA team looking for defensive versatility.
Emanuel Sharp - Israel
Guard
Birth Date: March 7, 2004 (22 years old) Height: 1.90m (6ft 3in) Team: Houston Cougars (USA - NCAA)
Despite spending nearly his entire basketball career in the United States, Sharp certainly made an impression in his lone appearance in FIBA competition, leading the FIBA U16 EuroBasket in scoring in 2019 with 25 points per game. After graduating from high school, Sharp committed to Houston, where he enjoyed tremendous success, reaching three Sweet Sixteens and one National Championship Game during his time with the Cougars. Sharp's combination of three-point shooting, point-of-attack defense, and relentless motor could make him an intriguing option for NBA teams and a seamless fit in nearly any backcourt, as he doesn't need the ball in his hands to make an impact.
Hannes Steinbach - Germany
Center
Birth Date: May 1, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 2.08m (6ft 10in) Team: Washington Huskies (USA - NCAA)
Steinbach emerged as a key piece of Germany's successful 2006 generation during the team's FIBA U18 EuroBasket title run in 2024, where he was named to the All-Star Five and led the tournament in rebounding. After a breakout rookie season at the professional level with Wurzburg in the German Bundesliga, Steinbach made a tremendous impact during Germany's silver-medal run at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025, earning another All-Star Five selection.
Steinbach headed to the NCAA soon afterward and, in his lone season of college basketball, established himself as a dominant interior presence, leading the entire NCAA in rebounding.
A prolific rebounder who can also finish plays around the basket with tremendous efficiency, Steinbach has been a double-double machine at every stage of his career and should be highly valuable to NBA teams seeking a strong interior presence.
Henri Veesaar - Estonia
Forward
Birth Date: March 28, 2004 (22 years old) Height: 2.11m (6ft 11in) Team: North Carolina Tar Heels (USA - NCAA)
Veesaar has been one of the best players to come out of Estonia in recent years and has stood out for the youth national team in multiple FIBA competitions. After spending three years in Real Madrid's youth ranks, he moved to the NCAA, where he played three seasons at Arizona before transferring to North Carolina.
In his lone season with the Tar Heels, Veesaar played the best basketball of his career, averaging 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 42.6 percent from three-point range. With his combination of size, three-point shooting, interior scoring, and flashes of passing ability, Veesaar projects as a player capable of making an impact both around the basket and from the perimeter in the NBA.
Noam Yaacov - Israel
Guard
Birth Date: October 20, 2004 (21 years old) Height: 1.86m (6ft 1in) Team: Filou Oostende (BEL)
Yaacov has enjoyed a standout career at the youth level, earning All-Star Five honors at both the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2022 and the FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2023. The 21-year-old guard, who has already represented the senior national team in both the FIBA Basketball World Cup and FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers, showed promising flashes during his time with ASVEL and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
This season, however, he joined Oostende in Belgium, where he took a major step forward and led his team in both points and assists per game. Yaacov has been one of the most creative ball-handlers, passers, and finishers around the rim in Europe this year, and his versatile offensive creation package could allow him to thrive in multiple roles at the NBA level.
Honorable Mentions
Beyond the players in our top 10 list, there are a number of other eligible European prospects who could either hear their names called in the 2026 NBA Draft or find their way to the NBA via undrafted free-agent contracts starting next year.
Some of these names include NCAA graduates such as Rienk Mast (Netherlands), Michael Rataj and Christoph Tilly (both from Germany), as well as young players who have stood out in international leagues, such as Pavle Backo (Serbia), Francesco Ferrari (Italy), Vsevolod Ishchenko, and Tobias Jensen (Denmark).
FIBA