San Antonio could eye international forward Karim Lopez with a lottery pick, projecting him as a future cornerstone alongside Wemby.
The San Antonio Spurs will be looking to continue to build for the future in the 2026 NBA Draft, and in the latest mock, the franchise picks yet another foreign player who could be a game-changer.
In a recent mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, he thinks that with the 11th pick, the Spurs should draft forward Karim Lopez from the New Zealand Breakers.
"Karim Lopez put together consecutive performances late in January that could influence or change scouts' evaluations," Wasserman writes. "At this stage, his face-up flashes and strength/physicality set him apart from most forwards his age. NBA teams that believe in his shooting development and ability to start converting more self-created attempts will consider Lopez in the lottery."
Lopez possesses a unique blend of size, skill, and upside that fits the Spurs’ long-term timeline. Listed at around 6-8 and roughly 225 pounds, he’s drawn comparisons to versatile wings like Franz Wagner thanks to his ability to score off the dribble, handle the ball, and make plays in multiple ways.
This projection shows San Antonio selecting Lopez with a mid-lottery choice acquired via trade, signaling the team’s belief in his potential as a foundational piece. The Spurs have long valued length, playmaking versatility and unselfish basketball, and Lopez checks many of those boxes.
Offensively, he can create his own looks — a standout quality for a forward his age — and has shown flashes of shooting and finishing that could translate to a modern NBA offensive system.
He is currently averaging just under 12 points, six rebounds, and is getting it done on the defensive end with a steal and a block per game. He is also doing so shooting 50 percent from the field and just over 30 percent from beyond the arc.
Spurs fans are a huge fan of the last time the team took a foreign player with a high pick in the draft, as he is now the face of their franchise, as well as one of the main faces of the league
So they could be willing to take a chance and do it again.
The only real "hole" in the starting lineup for San Antonio is at the power forward spot where they have an aging Harrison Barnes.
As a result, getting a piece for the future in Lopez to pair next to Wemby in the front court could definitely be something for the team to consider.