Nine players of Nigerian descent were selected in the 2026 NBA Draft, with two chosen in the first round and others picked in the second round during the two-day event held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Point guard Ebuka Okorie and power forward Zuby Ejiofor were the first Nigerians to hear their names called. Okorie was selected 17th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder through the Philadelphia 76ers before later being traded to the Detroit Pistons. Ejiofor followed as the 23rd overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks.
Okorie entered the draft after an outstanding season at Stanford, where he emerged as the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) scoring champion. The guard averaged 23.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
Ejiofor also impressed at the collegiate level, earning the prestigious Haggerty Award, presented annually to the top men’s college basketball player in the New York metropolitan area.
Four more players of Nigerian descent were selected in the second round. Kentucky shooting guard Otega Oweh was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 41st overall pick, while center Felix Okpara was selected 46th overall by the Orlando Magic before being traded to the Washington Wizards.
Forward Tobi Lawal was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks with the 48th pick, while center Ugonna Onyenso was selected 53rd overall by the Houston Rockets.
The 2026 draft marked a strong return for players of Nigerian heritage after the 2025 NBA Draft became the first in more than a decade without a Nigerian-descended player being selected.
The newly drafted players are expected to begin their professional journeys at the NBA Summer League, which will take place in Las Vegas from July 9 to July 19.
