Every Latin America-born Player Drafted to the NBA in the First Round in the Last Decade

Teenage prodigy Karim Lopez dropping 16 points against the Illawarra Hawks on January 11th, helping his New Zealand Breakers to a thrilling 101-96 victory in the process, might have gone under the radar for most NBA fans. Not the Barclays Center's front office, though. The 6-foot-8 Mexican guard doesn't turn 19 until April, but the Nets' scouts have watched him enough times this season in the NBL to know what they're seeing-a lanky wing who passes like a lead guard, defends three positions, and explodes to the rim with a first step that leaves defenders flatfooted.

Is Karim Lopez Brooklyn Bound

If Brooklyn calls his name at number six in June, Lopez becomes the first Mexican-born player ever selected in the first round. Even if he's not Barclays Center-bound, someone else will surely take him before number 30, regardless. Eduardo Najera went 38th to Houston in 2000, and that's it-Mexico's entire NBA Draft resume in 77 years. The country's millions of NBA fans have watched Jaime Jaquez Jr. represent Mexican-American heritage, but never a kid who grew up in Hermosillo playing against local competition before heading to Spain's youth system and finally on to the NBL's Next Stars program.

Lopez averaged 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in 22.9 minutes during his debut NBL season, modest numbers that don't capture what makes him special. This season, he has pumped those numbers up to 11.2 in the former category and 6.1 in the latter, and the Nets are banking on them increasing even further throughout his rookie season in the NBA. But let's face it, Brooklyn needs all the help it can get.

The Nets currently sit third bottom of the Eastern Conference and have won just 12 games all season. As such, online betting sites are already suggesting that it would be a miracle if they were to even reach the play-in tournament, let alone the playoffs. The bookies price Jordi Fernandez's men as a +20000 shot for a play-in berth, with the parlay calculator at Thunderpick showing that a $1 bet would pay a mighty $200 in winnings.

Would Lopez improve that outlook if he is selected at number six in the summer? Almost certainly. And if he were, he would make history for Mexican basketball. But which other Latin Americans have heard their names called in the first round over the last decade? Let's take a look.

Chris Duarte

Chris Duarte scored 27 points in his NBA debut on October 20, 2021, breaking Indiana's franchise record for a rookie's first game. The Pacers had drafted the 24-year-old Dominican guard 13th overall after his Pac-12 Player of the Year campaign at Oregon, banking on an NBA-ready body and a 42.4% three-point stroke that translated immediately. That opening night validated everything-six three-pointers, five rebounds, a statement that age didn't matter when the game was this polished. He cruised through his rookie year, averaging 13.1 points and making the All-Rookie Second Team. Then his ankle betrayed him.

Five minutes into Indiana's game against Miami on November 4, 2022, Duarte sprained his left ankle. Six weeks on the shelf. He returned in mid-January, dropped 25 against Memphis, looked like himself again for exactly seven games before re-injuring the same ankle against the Lakers in February. Two weeks out. Came back, played six decent games in March, then felt soreness creeping in again. Indiana shut him down, allowing just one more appearance that term before his sophomore year disintegrated into 7.9 points on 36.9% shooting, a confidence crisis layered over chronic ankle pain that wouldn't quit.

Indiana traded him to Sacramento in 2023. Sacramento flipped him to Chicago in 2024. Chicago waived him last February after 17 games, during which he played 4.4 minutes per night. He's 28 now, playing for Unicaja in Spain's ACB and shooting 21.1% from three. His Dominican national team still wants him-he averaged 19 points at the 2024 Olympic Qualifier-but his NBA window slammed shut faster than anyone expected for a guy who opened his career breaking franchise records.

Leandro Bolmaro

Leandro Bolmaro never stood a chance in Minnesota. The Timberwolves grabbed him 23rd overall in 2020 after the Knicks drafted him, trading for a 6-foot-7 Argentine playmaker who'd won Most Spectacular Player honors in Spain's ACB. Minnesota's front office envisioned a secondary ball-handler who could push pace and defend, a connector piece who'd develop behind D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. What they got was a kid who looked overwhelmed the moment NBA speed ramped up. Fourteen games across two seasons. 4.8 minutes per appearance. Waivers by October weren't a surprise.

Minnesota packaged him in the Rudy Gobert trade as salary filler, and Utah released him almost immediately because there was nothing to salvage... and he hadn't even enjoyed his 23rd birthday yet. He's bouncing around Europe now with Olimpia Milano, but his NBA career serves as a cautionary tale about the chasm between European production and NBA readiness.

Skal Labissiere

John Calipari compared Skal Labissiere to Anthony Davis before he'd played a single college game. The Haitian-born big man arrived at Kentucky in 2015 ranked first or second by every recruiting service, a 6-foot-11 prospect who'd dominated Memphis prep basketball while learning English after surviving three hours under rubble during Haiti's 2010 earthquake. Calipari's plan was simple: run the offense through Labissiere in the post just like he'd done with Karl-Anthony Towns the year before. "I probably screwed this guy up trying to make him Karl Towns," Calipari admitted mid-season. "He's not Karl Towns. He can't play like Karl Towns."

Labissiere averaged 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15.8 minutes, losing his starting spot as Kentucky struggled through an uneven season. NBA scouts watched him get pushed around physically, fail to rebound, and show zero defensive instincts against college competition. He declared for the draft anyway, falling to 28th when Phoenix grabbed him before trading him immediately to Sacramento.

Sacramento's dysfunction didn't help, but Labissiere flashed enough to tease what could've been-a 32-point, 11-rebound performance as a rookie made him the Kings' youngest player ever with a 30-10 game. His second season produced 8.7 points and 4.8 rebounds. Portland acquired him in February 2019. He was out of the NBA by 2020, bouncing between G League assignments. He's 29 now, averaging 7.1 career NBA points across 152 games while playing for the Capital City Go-Go. From potential first overall pick to G League journeyman in less than five years.