The second round of the 2026 NBA Draft was held in the early hours of this morning at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Overall, more than 10 players from and with at least one parent from Africa were selected in this year’s NBA Draft.
Felix Okpara (selected 46th overall by the Orlando Magic) and Ugonna Onyenso (selected 53rd overall by the Houston Rockets) marked the second time that two players from Nigeria were selected in the same NBA Draft.
Onyenso is the third NBA Academy Africa alumnus and 15th NBA Academy alumnus overall to be drafted into the NBA. Six players from or with at least one parent from Nigeria were drafted in this year’s draft.
Read Also: Athletics: ‘Becoming National Champion Was My Mission’ — Favour Ashe Sets Sights On Commonwealth Games Medal | Sports247 Nigeria
Below please find storylines about the international players selected. Notes on the NBA Draft are available at https://pr.nba.com/2026-nba-draft-notes/. Transcripts of media availability sessions with the draftees who attended are available at https://asaptext.com/orgs/nbadraft/.
African Players’ Storylines from the 2026 NBA Draft:
First Round
- AJ Dybantsa(U.S.; ties to the Republic of the Congo and Jamaica) – 1st overall by the Washington Wizards. Dybantsa became the second player with direct ties to the Republic of the Congo to be drafted into the NBA after Serge Ibaka was selected 24th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.
- Nate Ament(U.S.; ties to Rwanda) – 13th overall by the Miami Heat. He is the second player of Rwandan heritage to be drafted into the NBA after Frank Ntilikina (Belgium; ties to Rwanda), who was selected eighth overall by the New York Knicks in 2017.
- Ebuka Okorie(U.S.; ties to Nigeria; Stanford University) – 17th overall by Oklahoma City Thunder (as part of a planned trade, the Thunder will send the draft rights to Okorie to the Memphis Grizzlies who will send his draft rights to the Detroit Pistons).
- Zuby Ejiofor(U.S.; ties to Nigeria; St John’s University) – 23rd overall by the Atlanta Hawks.
Second Round
- Jack Kayil (Germany; ties to Ghana, Alba Berlin) was selected 39thoverall by the Houston Rockets (as part of a planned trade, the Rockets will send the draft rights to Kayil to the New York Knicks), marking the first time since 2024 that two players from Germany were selected in the same NBA Draft. Kayil participated in the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star in Indianapolis, Indiana and the 2023 Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Wroclaw, Poland, where he was named a camp All-Star (PHOTOS). Kayil joined Franz Wagner and Dennis Schröder this past season as one of the youngest players ever to win the German Bundesliga’s Best Young Player award, putting him in rare company. The Berlin native came up through Alba Berlin’s youth academy before signing with SC Rasta Vechta in 2023, where he won a second straight German U-19 title and took MVP honors at the final tournament. He stacked international hardware along the way, claiming U-16 EuroBasket gold in 2022, U-18 EuroBasket bronze in 2023 and U-18 EuroBasket gold in Tampere in 2024. After a one-year stop with KK Mega Basket in the ABA League, Kayil returned home to Alba Berlin for 2025-26. Holding his own against grown professionals at just 19, he posted 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 21.1 minutes per game. He also led Germany to a silver medal at the 2025 FIBA U-19 World Cup, averaging 11.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. Kayil swept Bundesliga Best Young Player and FIBA Basketball Champions League Best Young Player honors and earned All-FIBA Basketball Champions League Second Team recognition.
- Otega Oweh (U.S.; ties to Nigeria, University of Kentucky) was selected as the 41stoverall pick by the Miami Heat (as part of a planned trade, the Heat will send the draft rights to Oweh to the Oklahoma City Thunder). Oweh was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the league’s coaches in both seasons at Kentucky (2024-25, 2025-26). Led the Wildcats in scoring (18.6 ppg) and steals (1.8 spg) as a senior in 2025-26. Scored a career-high 35 points vs. Santa Clara in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament (March 20). Finished with the most points by a player in his first two seasons at Kentucky (1,255). He is also the brother of Washington Commanders defensive end Odafe Oweh, a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
- Felix Okpara (Nigeria; University of Tennessee)was selected 46th overall by the Orlando Magic. Okpara earned 2025-26 SEC All-Defensive Team honors as a senior in his second season at the University of Tennessee. He ranks second in program history in blocks per game at 1.6 and is one of four Tennessee players to record multiple 50-block seasons. Okpara finished third in the SEC in blocks during the 2024-25 season, averaging 1.7 per game, and ranked seventh in 2025-26 at 1.5 per game. Prior to Tennessee, Okpara played two seasons at Ohio State. In 2023-24, he ranked 11th nationally in blocks, averaging 2.4 per game. Okpara grew up playing soccer and picked up basketball shortly before moving to the U.S. in August 2018.
- Tobi Lawal (UK; ties to Nigeria, Virginia Tech) was selected 48thoverall by the Dallas Mavericks. Lawal did not pick up a basketball until he was 16, growing up in London and starring for the City of London Academy before crossing the Atlantic. At Lee Academy Prep, he was dominant, averaging 14.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.0 steals while shooting 67% from the floor. He started his college career at VCU, then transferred to Virginia Tech, where his game took off. As a senior, he posted 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game on 54%/25%/76% shooting splits. He made 17 starts in 23 appearances and piled up six double-doubles, seventh-most in the ACC, including two 15-rebound nights. He recorded a career-high five blocks vs. Louisville and led the Hokies in rebounding for a second straight season. Along the way, he earned Fort Myers Tip-Off All-Tournament honors and a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team.
- Ugonna Onyenso (Nigeria; University of Virginia) was selected 53rdoverall by the Houston Rockets (as part of a planned trade, the Rockets will send the draft rights to Onyenso to the New York Knicks who will send his draft rights to the Detroit Pistons), marking the second time that two players from Nigeria were selected in the same NBA Draft. Onyenso spent three years at NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, making him the third NBA Academy Africa alumnus and 15th NBA Academy alumnus overall to be drafted into the NBA (PHOTOS). At 17 years old, Onyenso became the youngest player ever to suit up for the Nigerian senior national team. The Owerri-born center first picked up basketball after a local coach pulled him away from soccer, then attended NBA Academy Africa before relocating to Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. There he averaged 13.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game as Putnam rolled to a 20-0 record. A five-star recruit, he committed to Kentucky. After two seasons in Lexington and a transfer stop at Kansas State, Onyenso landed at Virginia for his senior year and broke out. His efforts earned him a spot on the ACC All-Defensive Team and the ACC All-Tournament First Team as the Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
- Narcisse Ngoy (France; ties to the Central African Republic, Auburn University) was selected 57thoverall by the Atlanta Hawks. Ngoy previously played for Chorale Roanne Basket, Rouen Metropole Basket, and Poitiers Basket 86 in France and represented France at FIBA U-20 EuroBasket 2024.
