Next Star signs multi-year NBA deal

31 Jul 2026

next stars

new zealand beakers

Karim Lopez has secured his NBA future with the Memphis Grizzlies after signing a four-year rookie contract.

By

NBL.com.au

The NBA future of former NBL Next Star Karim Lopez is locked in after signing a multi-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The club announced on Friday AEST that the 21st pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, via Detroit, put pen to paper on a four-year, rookie-scale contract that will run through to the end of the 2029-30 season (with the final two years being team options).

Lopez, who made history on Draft Night by becoming the first-ever Mexican player selected in the first round, joins the NBA after two strong season with the New Zealand Breakers.

The 19-year-old averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game during the Hungry Jack's NBL26 Season, making him the highest-scoring draft-eligible Next Star in the program's history.

Following Lopez's selection, the Next Stars program has seen seven players drafted in the first round across the last seven NBA Drafts, including LaMelo Ball (2020), Josh Giddey (2021), Ousmane Dieng (2022) and Alex Sarr (2024), all being selected inside the lottery.