Memphis Grizzlies rookie Karim López is gaining some motivation from his draft position of No. 21 overall.
Although Memphis Grizzlies rookie Karim López was selected at No. 21 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, some projections had him going in the lottery.
It sounds like the end result caught the 19-year-old by surprise. In a conversation with AS, López revealed that he didn't expect to be drafted "so late," adding that it gives him extra motivation moving forward.
“I think we all believe we’re better than the person next to us," he said. "I didn’t expect to be selected so late in the draft. These things happen, but as Coach Omar [Quintero, the Mexico national team coach] said, it gives me motivation and inspiration. It adds more fuel to the fire. It makes me hungrier.”
The Grizzlies entered the draft with three picks: No. 3, No. 16 and No. 32 overall. At No. 3, they selected Cameron Boozer from Duke, which was an outcome many expected. But after that, Memphis got busy. The team traded back twice before making its next pick, first from No. 16 to No. 17, then from No. 17 to No. 21.
The Grizzlies didn't let López fall any further than No. 21, ending his perceived slide there.
The team then completed its draft class in the second round by picking Richie Saunders from BYU at No. 32.
López can draw fuel from all the teams that passed on him in the first round, but he may also be able to gain motivation from the fact that Memphis traded back before landing him.
If he was the guy the Grizzlies wanted all along with their second pick, then it worked out well for them, but even in that case, they were willing to risk him coming off the board before No. 21 came around.
No matter where the motivation comes from, Memphis will hope to see López play to his full potential in the NBA. The Grizzlies were ultimately the team that stopped him from falling any further, and their reward is a high-upside prospect who isn't even 20 yet.
In the 2025-26 season, López averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game for New Zealand in the NBL, per Basketball Reference. Before the forward was selected in the first round this year, a scouting report from NBADraft.net described him as "one of the more intriguing international prospects in the 2026 class," noting his mix of size, athleticism and versatility.
Grizzlies fans didn't get to see much of López in Summer League action since he was recovering from an injury he sustained before the draft, but he did make one appearance in Las Vegas.
While it isn't entirely clear how big his role will be in his debut season, he is going to have a chance to prove that he belongs as a long-term piece of the Boozer era. López has a lot to look forward to as his NBA career gets going.
