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NBA and FIBA announce participating prospects in inaugural Men’s BWB Next Up camp in Istanbul
Men’s BWB Next Up 2026 will feature 78 high school prospects from Aug. 28–29, plus 20+ former players, legends & coaches.
Official release — August 25, 2026 — 10:22 PM
NEW YORK AND MIES, SWITZERLAND – The National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) announced the 78 top high-school-age prospects from 44 countries and territories across six continents who will participate in the inaugural Men’s Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Next Up camp, held in Istanbul, Türkiye from Wednesday, Aug. 26 to Saturday, Aug. 29 at Basketbol Gelişim Merkezi.
The campers will take part in athletic testing, movement efficiency drills, skill development stations, 3-on-3 competitions, life skills seminars, and 5-on-5 games under the guidance of current and former NBA and FIBA players and coaches.
This year’s participants include: Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow, 2020-21 Kia All-Rookie first team member Saddiq Bey (New Orleans Pelicans), 2023 NBA champion Thomas Bryant (Cavaliers), 2024-25 Kia All-Rookie 2nd team member Bub Carrington (Washington Wizards), NBA legend and former Yugoslavia Men’s National Team member Vlade Divac, former NBA and Italian Men’s National Team player Danilo Gallinari, NBA All-Star and 2021 NBA champion Brook Lopez (LA Clippers), 2021 NBA champion and three-time NBA All-Star Khris Middleton (Wizards), 2023-24 Kia NBA All-Defensive Second Team member Jalen Suggs (Orlando Magic) and 76ers forward Jabari Walker. The complete list of participating players, legends, coaches and team personnel is below.
The event will mark the debut of the BWB program’s new format and the third time BWB will be held in Istanbul, following BWB Europe in 2002 and 2008. In conjunction with the 25th anniversary of BWB – the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program – the NBA and FIBA previously announced the launch of BWB Next Up, which will consist of two annual camps for the top 80 male prospects and top 80 female prospects from outside the U.S. The top-performing players will then be selected to participate in BWB All-Star camps at the following NBA and AT&T WNBA All-Star events.
The inaugural Women’s BWB Next Up will take place in fall 2026.
A ceremony on the final day of the camp will award the Kim Bohuny Camp MVP, the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award, the Three-Point Champion, the Defensive MVP and the Playoff MVP to campers who distinguish themselves on the court and as leaders.
More than 50 former BWB campers were among the record 135 international players on opening-night rosters last season, including 2026 NBA All-Stars Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers; Israel; BWB Europe 2018; BWB All-Star 2019), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder; Canada; BWB All-Star 2016), Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets; Canada; BWB All-Star 2015) and Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012).
BWB has reached more than 4,900 participants from 149 countries and territories since 2001, with 155 former campers advancing to the NBA or WNBA. The NBA and FIBA have staged 86 BWB camps in 56 cities across 36 countries on six continents.
Follow the camp using the hashtag #BWBNextUp on Facebook (@NBAEurope), Instagram (@NBAEurope), YouTube (@NBAEurope) and X (@NBATurkiye). Find out more about BWB at BasketballWithoutBorders.com, on YouTube (Basketball Without Borders) and on Instagram (@basketballwithoutborders).
The following is a complete list of current and former NBA and FIBA players, coaches and personnel participating in Men’s BWB Next Up 2026 as coaches:
NBA Players
- Dominick Barlow – Philadelphia 76ers, USA
- Saddiq Bey – New Orleans Pelicans, USA
- Thomas Bryant – Cleveland Cavaliers, USA
- Bub Carrington – Washington Wizards, USA
- Brook Lopez – LA Clippers, USA
- Khris Middleton – Washington Wizards, USA
- Jalen Suggs – Orlando Magic, USA
- Jabari Walker – Philadelphia 76ers, USA
NBA Coaches and Personnel
- Kenny Atkinson – Cleveland Cavaliers, USA
- Caron Butler – Miami Heat, USA
- Dahntay Jones – LA Clippers, USA
- Jannero Pargo – Indiana Pacers, USA
- Lamar Skeeter – Charlotte Hornets, USA
- Greg St. Jean – Los Angeles Lakers, USA
- Ekpe Udoh – Atlanta Hawks, USA (ties to Nigeria)
- James White – Minnesota Timberwolves, USA
NBA and FIBA Legends
- Vlade Divac – NBA and FIBA Legend, Serbia
- Danilo Gallinari – NBA and FIBA Legend, Italy
Camp Directors
- Chris Ebersole – Los Angeles Lakers, USA
- Prosper Karangwa – Philadelphia 76ers, Canada/Rwanda
- Adam Simon – Miami Heat, USA
- Mike Zarren – Boston Celtics, USA
Strength and Conditioning
- Isaiah West – Brooklyn Nets, USA
- Emily Zaler – Philadelphia 76ers, USA
Athletic Trainers
- Dan Shimensky – Denver Nuggets, USA
- Casey Smith – New York Knicks, USA
The following is a complete list of campers participating in Men’s BWB Next Up 2026 (rosters subject to change):
- Jose Dias – Angola
- Facundo Mathieu – Argentina
- Enzo Roth – Argentina
- Riak Akhuar – Australia
- John Aryang – Australia
- Yahya Basaran – Australia
- Antonio Browne – Australia
- William Troy Hamilton – Australia
- Manu Agbason – Azerbaijan
- Hassan Oshobuge Abdulkadir – Bahrain
- Aaron Ona Embo – Belgium
- Imran Subasic – Bosnia
- Lucas Moro – Brazil
- Victor Santos – Brazil
- Isaiah Clarke – Canada
- Noah D’Acre – Canada
- Kenyon St. Louis – Canada
- Kingston Thomas – Canada
- Boran Yue – China
- Zhanfeng Zhou – China
- Marek Houska – Czech Republic
- Martin Sibal – Czech Republic
- Martin Simko – Czech Republic
- Neora Francis Ossete Toly – Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Lucas Troels-Smith – Denmark
- Malvin Duran – Dominican Republic
- Robert Kangur – Estonia
- Mathias Fabien – France
- Messi Yangala – France
- Mansour Bayo – The Gambia
- Mamadou Samba – The Gambia
- Herbert Roland Senghore – The Gambia
- Lucai Anderson – Germany
- Paul Plato – Germany
- Caspar Vossenberg – Germany
- Angelos Zoupas – Greece
- Vince Gaspar – Hungary
- Lapo Santini – Italy
- Minty Jean-Philippe Dylan Oka – Ivory Coast
- Gabrielius Buivydas – Lithuania
- Jokubas Kukta – Lithuania
- Kristupas Sabeckas – Lithuania
- Luca Balducci – Mexico
- Yair Olano – Mexico
- Luka Malovic – Montenegro
- Marko Popovic – Montenegro
- Tawhiri Cate – New Zealand
- Liam Keogh – New Zealand
- Zach Rampton – New Zealand
- Justin Akengbowa – Nigeria
- Kalu Miracle Ebubechukwu – Nigeria
- Prince Carino – Philippines
- Lukasz Lysek – Poland
- Miguel Sousa – Portugal
- Dwight Gaines – Puerto Rico
- Ameer Hausawi – Qatar
- Azam Yakan – Qatar
- Serigne Saliou Mbodji – Senegal
- Petar Bjelica – Serbia
- Matija Lukic – Serbia
- Ognjen Simjanovski – Serbia
- Lun Jarc – Slovenia
- Taejoon Park – South Korea
- Emmanuel Aguer Majak – South Sudan
- Eghosa Odeje – Spain
- Troy Hilamani Kaufusi – Tonga
- Abderahmen Bouguerra – Tunisia
- Adem Rafrafi – Tunisia
- Besir Briant – Turkey
- Darius Karutasu – Turkey
- Ruzgar Opcun – Turkey
- Demir Ozturk – Turkey
- Omer Sik – Turkey
- Dmytro Datsenko – Ukraine
- Oliver Bishop – United Kingdom
- Maxx Tjongondjoza – United Kingdom
- Kevin Gutierrez – Venezuela
- Julio Vasquez – Venezuela
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