Vietnam’s VBA Rookie Draft 2026 Selects Six Amateur Players for Professional Basketball Contracts

Six amateur basketball players have been selected to join professional clubs in Vietnam’s pro basketball league through the VBA Rookie Draft 2026, earning contracts and the opportunity to compete in the national championship.

The draft, held jointly by the Vietnam Basketball Association (VBA) and FPT Play on April 17, 2026, took place in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and was streamed live on digital platforms. The event served as a key preseason kickoff ahead of the 2026 VBA season.

Following three weeks of evaluation and training, the top 24 performers advanced to the official selection round. These athletes emerged from a pool of candidates assessed by the six participating VBA clubs, positioning themselves for potential league contracts.

The draft order was determined by a lottery system, with each club receiving a number of lottery balls based on their finish in the 2025 VBA season. Clubs with lower standings received more balls, increasing their odds of securing earlier picks. Specifically:

• Hanoi Buffaloes: 1 lottery ball
• Nha Trang Dolphins: 2 lottery balls
• Cantho Catfish: 3 lottery balls
• Saigon Heat: 4 lottery balls
• Da Nang Dragons: 5 lottery balls
• Ho Chi Minh City Wings: 6 lottery balls

In the first round of the VBA Rookie Draft 2026, the Cantho Catfish made the inaugural selection, choosing Lam Binh Zui as their first pick. The second round saw the Da Nang Dragons continue the selection process, though specific details of subsequent picks beyond the first two rounds were not included in the verified source material.

All selected rookies now have the opportunity to sign professional contracts and earn roster spots with their respective VBA clubs for the upcoming season. Successfully making a team would grant them eligibility to participate in the VBA playoffs and contend for the national championship.

The VBA Rookie Draft represents the league’s formal mechanism for integrating amateur talent into its professional ranks, providing a structured pathway for Vietnamese basketball players to transition from developmental or collegiate levels to the country’s top-tier professional competition.

As of the conclusion of the draft proceedings on April 17, 2026, the six selected athletes await official contract negotiations and potential roster inclusions by their drafting clubs ahead of the 2026 VBA season tip-off.

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