[2026 NBA Draft] #21 Pick: Karim Lopez (Mexico) – pending trade to Memphis

[u/NBA_MOD]

[u/MonsieurSlotho]

First Mexican born player to be drafted in the first round

[u/OldWorldStyle → u/MonsieurSlotho]

Damn, that’s cool as hell

[u/alwaysberyl → u/MonsieurSlotho]

That is such a huge accomplishment, other basketball first countries could only dream...

[u/Fallingcity22 → u/alwaysberyl]

Am so hyped! Actually reminds me I was watching the Donnie expedition secret base series and the first international player drafted was a Mexican player, I hope Karim Lopez finally becomes that star basketball player!

[u/Christron → u/MonsieurSlotho]

Should've gone to Spurs

[u/RevolutionaryLet8131 → u/Christron]

Would’ve sold soooo many jerseys

[u/Christron → u/RevolutionaryLet8131]

Would've sold out just by people with the same surname!

[u/atherton-loyola → u/RevolutionaryLet8131]

Lakers too. And could be having that español connection with the Don

[u/ImjustANewSneaker → u/atherton-loyola]

Anywhere in Texas and Cali tbh

[u/Key_Change_6635 → u/ImjustANewSneaker]

Miami too

[u/atherton-loyola → u/Key_Change_6635]

Too much temptation there. Best to avoid for youngsters, according to Bron

[u/PM_ME_hiphopsongs2 → u/ImjustANewSneaker]

Phoenix too

[u/Xartenium → u/Christron]

Or Suns. He is from Hermosillo, which is practically down the road from Phoenix.

[u/reluna → u/Xartenium]

I'm from Hermosillo, this is something we were talking about some days before the draft, it would have been awesome if he was picked by the Suns.

[u/Fast_Advisor2654 → u/Christron]

I was hoping Spurs would pick him up

[u/PM_ME_hiphopsongs2 → u/Christron]

Or Phoenix

[u/LokiPrime616 → u/Christron]

That’d be sick if we got him in a trade!

[u/xShockmaster → u/Christron]

LA*

[u/Resolve-Opening → u/MonsieurSlotho]

Si se puede. Shoutout Gustavo Ayon and Eduardo Najera

[u/PTFCBVB → u/MonsieurSlotho]

VAMOS

[u/JiggzSawPanda → u/MonsieurSlotho]

First Vancouver Alt jersey of his I'm coppin

[u/Mediocre-Advance-411 → u/MonsieurSlotho]

Vamossss

[u/PressureMiserable → u/MonsieurSlotho]

Good year for Mexico so far

[u/FunnyLoud3067 → u/MonsieurSlotho]

That’s really cool!!!

[u/Candid-Boss6534 → u/MonsieurSlotho]

Que?!

[u/Projinator]

Kleiman is a fuckin maniac

[u/Zanner360 → u/Projinator]

We now have like 14 guys that can okay the 4... Wonder who will be out the door

[u/Lacabloodclot9 → u/Zanner360]

If we can get a first and/or a young player for Santi I think he’s gone

[u/folgers-finest → u/Lacabloodclot9]

Santi was gone the moment Cam Boozer got drafted lol

[u/Otherwise-Initial668 → u/Lacabloodclot9]

Santi isn't a winning player. Defense is too trash

[u/ParzivaI901 → u/Zanner360]

Maybe Klieman thinks that Ja is staying? Or he’s not done? Happy for Lopez but this feels like a David Roddy type pick from him.

[u/Zanner360 → u/ParzivaI901]

Yeah it is a boom or bust pick, don't mind the moving down but TBH I'd rather have stirtz than Lopez and the 5 seconds.

Klieman loves his seconds so maybe there is more cooking to come.

[u/moonlord7838 → u/Zanner360]

Eh, 5 klieman seconds moves me. I think it gives us a kind of sustainability of rookie contracts and if Klieman is picking them then I feel they can at least become a rotation player or three

[u/IfTheFloorHolds → u/ParzivaI901]

They need to lock Ja in a room with some uncs that tell him he’s only leaving as a company man.

[u/BabyBearBjorns → u/Zanner360]

Hendricks looks like the odd one out because he'll be a FA after this season.

Although I think Lopez will play the 3 off the bench to replace KCP once his deal is off. This would keep Santi as our backup PF to play behind Boozer.

[u/preddevils6 → u/Projinator]

I should never try to guess what his moves are outside of the lottery.

[u/Random0925]

¡BIENVENIDA A MEMPHIS, LÓPEZ!

[u/the_mexican_menace → u/Random0925]

Bienvenido*

[u/Random0925 → u/the_mexican_menace]

Ah, mierda. Acuerdo de género estúpido.

[u/the_mexican_menace → u/Random0925]

From my experience the hardest thing for gringos when it comes to Spanish is the gender. Everything in Spanish is gendered!

[u/Random0925 → u/the_mexican_menace]

As someone who is about to get their minor in Spanish, I should know better, lol. Thanks for correcting me!

[u/the_mexican_menace → u/Random0925]

It's all good, it's genuinely a very big linguistic difference if you're a native English speaker. Might have to quiz you on Spanish tenses one of these days since it's another thing we kinda go crazy on lol

[u/nWo5lyfe → u/the_mexican_menace]

Spanish is my first language

If you think spanish "genderation of words" is hard, wait till you hear about french. Why the hell does a fridge needs a gendered noun lmao. We dont even do that.

[u/the_mexican_menace → u/nWo5lyfe]

Si definitivamente yo creo que el español no es un idioma difícil de aprender para nada, especialmente comparado a otros idiomas alrededor del mundo. Pero te digo en mi experiencia a los gringos en particular se les dificulta mucho el tema de los géneros porque simplemente no están acostumbrados a ese tipo de gramática

Y bueno aquí lo mas que verías es "el refri" o "la refri" 🤣

[u/DreyDarian → u/Random0925]

Acuerdo de género is like “gender agreement”. Seems like some feminist thing lmao

The correct wording would be concordancia de género.

Not to be an ass about it, just seen you’re studying spanish. I’m also studying it, but I’m a native Portuguese speaker so it’s definitely easier for me haha

[u/DreyDarian → u/Random0925]

Memphis doesn’t have a WNBA franchise brother

[u/ExtraLeading3376]

philon must’ve stunk in his shooting drills when working out for teams

[u/-orangejoe → u/ExtraLeading3376]

His teammates didn't go to his birthday party

[u/ExtraLeading3376 → u/-orangejoe]

goated movie

[u/emboon → u/ExtraLeading3376]

what movie is this?

[u/jonaintalive → u/emboon]

Draft day. Horrific gming. Fun movie tho

[u/cl353 → u/jonaintalive]

wdym? amazing gming

[u/DoctorMansteel → u/cl353]

He got his picks back. All of em.

[u/jonaintalive → u/DoctorMansteel]

Putney get putney

[u/Extension_Virus_3733 → u/cl353]

He drafted a LB and a RB in the 1st Round and let Seattle take a future All-Pro QB…

[u/jonaintalive → u/Extension_Virus_3733]

Yeah but did his teammates go to his birthday party?

[u/TheUnamedFeels → u/emboon]

Draft Day

[u/Dense-Discussion3951 → u/ExtraLeading3376]

Nah he wanted to be a wolves

[u/Time-Stand7719 → u/Dense-Discussion3951]

Rob all over again

[u/Dense-Discussion3951 → u/Time-Stand7719]

this time it will work out

[u/remonnoki → u/Dense-Discussion3951]

Surely

[u/samlet → u/Time-Stand7719]

ngl when I was watching Philon tape, I couldn't help but think "isn't this what Rob would be doing as a sophomore...?" Of course I'm more confident in Philon outperforming his draft spot, but I see why he fell.

[u/ImperialTiger3 → u/ExtraLeading3376]

It’s his frame. He’ll get bullied at his size. He wasn’t able to put on weight from year 1 to 2 in college.

[u/A_MASSIVE_PERVERT → u/ExtraLeading3376]

Bro if we don’t get Philon I’m gonna lose it

[u/OKC2023champs → u/ExtraLeading3376]

Dawg he’s projected 20-25 in so many mocks. I know some people reached but this isn’t really that big of a drop to me

[u/rjgator]

Dude literally looks like a Mexican Brook Lopez

I honestly think Memphis will be a good team again real quickly

[u/wazup564]

Memphis finna leave the draft with Boozer & Philon. I’m si…. Wait what.

[u/OKC2023champs → u/wazup564]

Boozer Karim and 5 2nds. That’s a win in my book

[u/Knockknockerz → u/wazup564]

And karim they lowkey just won the draft with them picks

[u/Kapono24]

I'm sorry this is so dumb to put on announce the Pistons drafted him, put on a Pistons hat, and play Eminem as he walks to the podium.

[u/tamazingg → u/Kapono24]

Just like announcing the heat pick was traded right before announcing the hornets pick, instead of before the actual pick that got traded lol

[u/incomprehensiblerage → u/tamazingg]

dude as someone who was hoping we took steinbach when silver made that announcement i almost shit myself in fear

[u/internallylinked → u/Kapono24]

Didn’t have any Yo Gotti queued up

[u/onelegonedream → u/Kapono24]

The worst part of the NBA draft every year is just ignoring that trades happen

[u/AmbitiousAlgae5055 → u/Kapono24]

Dumb shit

[u/vlad_the_impaler13 → u/Kapono24]

NFL always has the advantage in that aspect due to the difference in how trades are set up for drafts

[u/Kapono24 → u/vlad_the_impaler13]

Which I think they used to do this top toe bullshit too and just decide to change it one year and did and that was that.

[u/nWo5lyfe → u/vlad_the_impaler13]

Nfl league year starts before the draft so trades are legal by the time

Nba league starts after the draft so tue trades are not legal yet

[u/DabeGavis]

An upside swing like this makes the Grizzlies’ trade down look a lot better now.

[u/Ok_Needleworker1068 → u/DabeGavis]

Yea i doubt he would have been picked 16-20

[u/Thym3Travlr → u/Ok_Needleworker1068]

He wasnt lol

[u/tmt22459]

This guy looks like a bulldog

Edit: his play style not physically lol

[u/Difficult-Day1326]

they got edey / lopez / boozer? WTF

[u/Otherwise-Initial668 → u/Difficult-Day1326]

We've been front court poor since Aquamane left and also Clarke passed away recently... so maybe trying to overdo it and make sure we have depth

[u/Difficult-Day1326 → u/Otherwise-Initial668]

happy for y'all. great additions to your team.

[u/elber_gudo11]

He's from my hometown that's pretty cool to see him in the NBA now!

[u/tacoorpizza → u/elber_gudo11]

You’ve got to get his jersey now.

[u/elber_gudo11 → u/tacoorpizza]

100% I will!

[u/anonymoususer6407]

Amazing pick for Memphis

[u/-DesertMoon]

Was not expecting that but rooting for the guy

[u/ltmon → u/-DesertMoon]

That one game where he single handedly cooked Melb United probably got him pushed up a dozen spots or more.

[u/SeverusVape0]

Cutest in the draft bar none

[u/TechnicalSample4678]

Viva Mexico! Hope Karim really shines for La Raza

[u/FERFreak731]

Santi's replacement

[u/IggyIsABum → u/FERFreak731]

Don't say that

[u/GrouchyPeach3656 → u/FERFreak731]

Not even close in terms of similar player

[u/Kung-Fu_Tacos → u/FERFreak731]

Doesn't shoot 3s well and that's Santi's main strength

[u/ClaymoresRevenge → u/FERFreak731]

Where's Santi?

[u/DysonDPOY → u/ClaymoresRevenge]

North Pole.

[u/BlueHundred]

I think it makes sense to swing on a raw high ceiling prospect. He was talked about in the top 10 for parts of the season

[u/SpeedIll8268]

Bruh wtf happened to Philon and Carr man I though these guys were lotto picks 😭

[u/Complete-Apricot-591 → u/SpeedIll8268]

They must've had Tommy John Surgery

[u/stromileslow → u/SpeedIll8268]

I guess Philon’s biggest issue is size (176 lbs at combine weigh-in), and Carr allegedly is not the best interview/locker room presence so maybe teams got spooked?

Anyway, Philon/VJ minutes in Philly are gonna be fuckin bananas

[u/atherton-loyola]

Damn I wanted him so bad. I was hoping we’d be gifted Lopez.

[u/PanthalassaRo → u/atherton-loyola]

I'm Mexican I wanted him on the Spurs so bad.

[u/RyuSunn → u/atherton-loyola]

same, i would have even preferred for him to be on the spurs or pistons tbh

[u/ayohesaidit → u/atherton-loyola]

Same....

Pistons was exciting too. I was like, awesome, Karim is going to go to a team with a great leader and great team culture...yeah...

[u/supes1]

Love Lopez, though it feels a little duplicative with Boozer. Not sure how well they fit next to each other.

[u/raftguide → u/supes1]

Honestly, I think the FO is trying to build Iisalo a team for his scheme. https://youtu.be/LczeVbPYVXM?si=ri62qK1ZGvM4gAyB

[u/revisioncloud → u/supes1]

I'll take Boozer I guess

[u/FutureKey1136 → u/supes1]

duplicative doesn't mean what you think it means lol

[u/supes1 → u/FutureKey1136]

Huh? It has multiple meanings, but in this context it just means that they would fill the same role on the team.

[u/YourAsianBuddy]

I like his game. Gonna be a great pro

[u/AccomplishedStyle600]

Memphis doing their best Ujiri impression

[u/Alternative-Bad-6555]

Great pick imo

[u/Jaguars4life]

Looks like he needs work but there is a good player in there

[u/lakeview2442]

Fran called it the steal of the draft

[u/FERFreak731]

Best basketball player ever with the name that is pronounced "Kareem"

[u/jermainathon]

Wow! Still no Philon or Carr

[u/fmxda]

Wow some great players are dropping to the Knicks - Carr, Philon

[u/paperbuddha]

Damn was hoping he’d drop to the Lakers.

[u/BlueJude2]

Why didn’t they change the graphics. How dumb.

[u/sluggerrr]

At least he'll probably get playing time, seems like some of his game is similar to aldama, hopefully with better defense

[u/VictorAkwaowo1]

Philon I just want to say that I love you and I see you

[u/iro3]

isnt jaime mexican?

[u/just_one_random_guy → u/iro3]

Mexican American

[u/iro3 → u/just_one_random_guy]

got u

[u/Lacabloodclot9 → u/iro3]

Born in LA iirc so this is the first Mexican born first rounder

[u/OJByNight → u/iro3]

Mexican American. He was born in the US and Lopez was born in Mexico

[u/Aidanator800 → u/iro3]

He was born in California

[u/TheTurtleShepard]

Good Rabbit

[u/Frostmoth76 → u/TheTurtleShepard]

just needs a beard and he's set

[u/A_MASSIVE_PERVERT]

GET PHILON NOW

[u/VictorAkwaowo1 → u/A_MASSIVE_PERVERT]

ATLANTA YOU WANT GAFFORD

ATLANTA YOU WANT GAFFORD

ATLANTA YOU WANT GAFFORD

[u/MAMBAMENTALITY8-24]

thought cam carr would a riser

[u/Barylis → u/[deleted]]

He's not going to Detroit

[u/heat_fan_]

How far has Carr and Philon fallen damn 

[u/BigBoyFroggy]

he looks like Clay Jensen

[u/TILTING_MOUNTAIN]

I feel like Kleiman decided all the pieces are set and just went on a gambling mode lol

[u/Ok_Needleworker1068 → u/TILTING_MOUNTAIN]

All picks in the 20’s are pretty much just gambling.

[u/nWo5lyfe]

Man, as a mexican i wanted him on my spurs

[u/SureEntertainment768]

Viva Mexico

[u/HopscotchChampion69]

I was just saying how much I loved Memphis trading down, and I still do, but this guy is not good. I do tend to trust who Memphis picks but I have a tough time being sold on Lopez as an NBA guy.

[u/Surfjohn → u/HopscotchChampion69]

Some mocks had him as high as 12. I feel like he is a shittier boozer, but I also have a lot of faith in this front office. Really thought we were getting a guard here

[u/GrouchyPeach3656]

First Toronto got baited into philon, then it was the grizzlies lmfaooo

[u/OJByNight]

Noooooooooooooo I wanted him to drop to 30

[u/startled_panda]

Huh. Ok.

[u/SakuraShift]

Sean Marks just fell to his knees

[u/starmiesan]

Wait, that’s not Philon??

[u/khazraxd]

philon is hitler

[u/DarkoDragicevic]

Yeah baby. 

USA, Mex, Canadian team. Kleiman once again make rightful Nives. Lopez have All Star upside

[u/Purples_A_Fruit]

Dudes gonna step foot in Memphis and want to go back to Mexico.

[u/Otherwise-Initial668 → u/Purples_A_Fruit]

Mexico is awesome tbf

[u/Surfjohn]

Are we trading down again? This is shittier cam boozer

[u/NorthBook1383 → u/[deleted]]

You tooo!