Ilias Kamardine won’t be eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft, even after going to NCAA

Recently committed to Ole Miss University, Ilias Kamardine (6’4″, 21 years old) won’t be able to enter the 2026 NBA Draft. Born in 2003, the combo guard was automatically eligible for the 2025 Draft. However, the NBA specified in a memo sent to the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) that international auto-eligible players who join the NCAA this year won’t be eligible for the following year’s Draft.

NEWS: International players who were autoeligible for the 2025 NBA Draft and chose to go to the NCAA will be ineligible for selection in the 2026 draft class, per a memo delivered from the NBA to the players’ association.

Affects players such as Ilias Kamardine, Sananda Fru

— Nick Kalinowski (@kalidrafts) July 2, 2025

No turning back for Ilias Kamardine

In late April, Ilias Kamardine’s move to Ole Miss University in NCAA marked a turning point in his career, after leaving JDA Dijon and showing promising starts in Pro B and Betclic ELITE. The goal was notably to get closer to the American model with hopes of potentially joining the NBA.

But a new regulation changes everything. According to a memo sent by the NBA to the players’ association (NBPA), any international player born in 2003 or earlier and automatically eligible for the 2025 Draft cannot re-enter the 2026 Draft if they join an American university. In other words, Kamardine’s choice to play NCAA at Ole Miss cancels his future NBA eligibility.

The player will now have to consider other paths to access the American league, perhaps through signing as a free agent or by returning to the European professional circuit. Other players like German Sananda Fru (who will play for the University of Louisville) are also affected by this new directive.

A regulatory puzzle for international prospects

This rule aims to more strictly regulate the path of international players and prevent back-and-forth between FIBA and NCAA circuits to delay NBA entry. Ilias Kamardine’s case perfectly illustrates this administrative complexity that can affect a prospect’s trajectory.

The decision could impact future international recruitment by American universities. For many, joining the NCAA is a springboard to better prepare for the NBA Draft. But with this new regulation, choosing to play there after a year of professional experience could prove to be a dead end.