The 2026 NBA Draft has delivered historic news for Spanish basketball with the selections of Aday Mara and Sergio de Larrea. Mara, a 21-year-old center standing 2.21 meters tall, joins the Oklahoma City Thunder, with whom he will aim to reclaim the league championship title. Meanwhile, De Larrea, a 20-year-old point guard, after initially being chosen by the Lakers and traded to the New York Knicks, will ultimately play for the Dallas Mavericks.
Aday Mara's journey to the NBA has been remarkable. After his stint at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he had a limited role, the player from Zaragoza moved to the University of Michigan. There, under the guidance of coach Dusty May, he regained his best form and won the NCAA championship last season. His selection at pick number 12 by the Thunder, announced by Adam Silver, culminates an effort that places him among the highest-drafted Spaniards in history, surpassed only by Pau Gasol, Ricky Rubio, and Fran Vázquez.
Sergio de Larrea, a 1.98-meter point guard from Valladolid, was already a prominent figure in the ACB and a key player for the Spanish national team during the last Eurobasket. Drafted 25th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, his destination changed in a last-minute move that has sent him to Dallas. There, he will share a team with Cooper Flagg, the rookie of the year and one of the league's future stars. It remains to be seen if the franchise will opt for a 'draft-and-stash' approach, keeping the player in Europe for further development.
The third Spaniard to declare for the draft, Baba Miller, awaits his fate in the second round, having not been selected in the first.
