Elite NBA draft prospect Karim Lopez has signed a two-year deal with the NBL's New Zealand Breakers.
The 17-year-old Mexican swingman has joined the Breakers as part of the NBL's Next Stars program, designed to help top young talents prepare to nominate in the NBA draft.
Mock drafts for 2026 have projected Lopez to be taken with a first-round pick, with some flagging his potential to be chosen in the top five.
Standing at 210cm tall, Lopez has already represented Mexico at international level, making his debut during Olympic qualifiers this year.
He joins Ousmane Dieng, RJ Hampton, Rayan Rupert and Hugo Besson as international talents to have joined the Breakers as Next Stars, with all four drafted to the NBA following their NBL stints.
LaMelo Ball, Alex Sarr and Josh Giddey are among other players to have become household names in the NBA after cutting their teeth in the Next Star program.
While those three spent only a year in the NBL, new Breakers coach and former Finland international Petteri Koponen expects Lopez may need longer to acclimatise to professional basketball given his age.
"Nurturing Karim to his potential is going to be a thrilling project over the next two years," said Koponen.
"I watched some of the games and he is such an exciting package with his size and how he handles the ball, but we need to be patient with him on his journey.
"We must remember that Karim is 17, but there is a big picture here and we need to consider where he will be in two years."
Lopez's arrival officially completes the Breakers' roster for the upcoming season after American shooting guard Matt Mooney was unveiled on Friday.
He joins former NBA draftee Mojave King and ex Philadelphia 76ers forward Jonah Bolden as key acquisitions for the Breakers, who have also retained star guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
The Breakers assemble for pre-season next week.
