The 2026 NBA draft class was purported to be one of the best in history. Which meant this Las Vegas summer league was always going to be a test: Could this class really live up to the overwhelming hype?
Shockingly, it appears the answer is yes.
Unlike most seasons, in which one or two rookies stand head and shoulders above the rest, in this Vegas summer league there were elite performances from rookies throughout the lottery, at the least, with the promise that there probably will be rookies from later in the draft -- or even undrafted -- who will end up contributing significantly in their first season.
I saw firsthand what the next generation of NBA superstars looked like in their first professional steps. I saw their size, speed, athleticism, and maybe most importantly, their energy as they moved around the court. Also, being in Vegas, I heard and was part of conversations with other scouts, analysts and NBA front office members as they watched the action. I was able to get the perspective of others on these players, and how they believe what they were seeing in Vegas would translate to the NBA for the upcoming season.
And, it being Vegas, I serendipitously got to witness some truly behind-the-scenes stuff. Like walking through the airport next to a representative for one of the rookies, listening to them talk about the player's motivation level to really prove something at this summer league. Or, maybe the most fun was that I got to play blackjack with the father of one of the players -- sharing our stories even while enjoying ourselves at the casino.
Only in Vegas!
As always, I find attending the summer league to be invaluable in evaluating young players and projecting what we might expect from them in the near future. Here are some of my thoughts on how some of the most intriguing lottery rookies performed, and whether their summer league exploits changed my outlook on what I project for their rookie season numbers.
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The top four
AJ Dybantsa, SF, Washington Wizards: Steady
Before Vegas, I projected Dybantsa as a tall wing. But my first in-person impression was that he looked less like a tall wing and more like a mobile big. More like a Jaren Jackson Jr. with a strong handle than a Tracy McGrady type. This makes him more of a physical mismatch than I realized, because it will be difficult for wings to challenge him vertically but almost impossible for most bigs to defend him horizontally.
Dybantsa also showed himself to be a relentless scorer off the dribble. He handled the ball often in Las Vegas, bringing it up the court like a point guard, but for the most part he wasn't acting as a floor general to run the offense and create looks for teammates. No, when he had the ball in his hands within 30 feet of the rim, Dybantsa was working to create a shot for himself. He would change directions on the dribble, working to get an angle and a step on his defender, then get to his spots from midrange in and either finish or get to the line. In two games, Dybantsa went 12-for-22 on 2-point attempts and 12-for-14 from the free throw line. Keep in mind, the summer league was exploring the shoot-one-free-throw for two or three points scoring mechanism, so Dybantsa's 12 made free throws were worth 23 points. In other words, he was getting to the line often, and showed the ability to throw his head backward on any defensive contact to draw fouls the way Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does, which bodes well for his scoring prowess as a rookie.
The downside of Dybantsa's performance in Las Vegas was his 3-point shooting and lack of playmaking. Dybantsa shot 1-for-11 from 3-point range and notched only four assists versus four turnovers. Looking forward to the regular season, when he will be playing on a team led by two All-Stars in Trae Young and Anthony Davis, Dybantsa will need to consistently knock down 3-pointers to maximize his scoring opportunities. He will need to be more than a finisher, but someone who can create looks for teammates. I believe he'll develop in both of these areas based on his talent and college history, but he didn't show a lot in those traits in his brief Vegas showing.
Dybantsa did, however, show some of his defensive upside. In 50 minutes played, he notched five steals and three blocked shots. With his length and athleticism, playing on a frontline featuring stalwart defenders such as Davis and Alex Sarr, Dybantsa has the upside to post strong-to-elite defensive numbers as a rookie.
Darryn Peterson, SG, Utah Jazz: Steady
Peterson's summer league performance epitomized his scouting report coming out of college: tantalizing skill set if everything comes together, but with a lower floor than the other super-blue-chippers if things go wrong.
Peterson, like Cameron Boozer, played in the Utah summer league in addition to Las Vegas. In his first Utah game, he dropped 28 points with four 3-pointers. In his second Utah game, he dropped an eye-opening 12 assists. In his first Las Vegas game, a vaunted head-to-head matchup with Dybantsa, Peterson dropped 24 points. So the raw numbers were there.
But evaluating summer league performance is often less about the numbers and more about style of play and, yes, skill set. Can the player replicate his summer league exploits at the NBA level? Was he taking shots in Las Vegas that he'll be taking during the season? Will his play in Vegas translate to his rookie season?
In Peterson's case, his positives seem likely to translate but his negatives, interestingly, might not. Peterson showed the ability to set up and knock down shots from every level, off the dribble and off the spot-up, from the logo to the rim. He was natural at using on-ball screens to get a step on his defender, and once that was done, he had a pallet of options from 3-pointers to pull-up jumpers to floaters to athletic finishes at the rim. Peterson also showed himself to be an excellent bad-shot maker, able to create and get up shots quickly in late-clock scenarios and knocking them down. He also showed a knack for getting to the line, tying Dybantsa for the lead in free throw attempts.
Peterson's biggest weakness was his efficiency, both as a scorer and as a passer. His field goal percentage was in the 30s, and outside of that 12-assist effort, he was typically turning the ball over more than he was getting assists. But this was largely with Peterson running point guard, and I expect that when the regular season begins, Peterson will be playing a lot more shooting guard for the Jazz. This means Peterson should get better looks as a scorer and simultaneously won't have to force things as much trying to be a floor general.
Cameron Boozer, PF, Memphis Grizzlies: Steady
Boozer came into the summer league as the prospect with the highest floor in addition to nice upside, and his performance this summer just emphasized that scouting report. His play was not flashy at all, but my notes from watching him are full of "make the right play" type plays. Some examples, from his Las Vegas debut against Caleb Wilson's Chicago Bulls:
"Boozer hub in high post. Made pass that led to teammate getting easy bucket at rim."
"Boozer deep post on Wilson. Got the pass in his office and set up a good 5-foot jumper but missed."
"Wilson isos Boozer, obviously trying to set up the 3-pointer. Crossed through legs several times but Boozer stays squared up in front of him. Wilson can't get space and turns it over. Boozer takes it length of court for a dunk."
"Boozer leads break from backcourt and gets fouled hard at rim. Converts free throw."
"Boozer at top of key. Iso'd then swung it, got it back, set up for comfortable 3-pointer from top of key. Swish."
You get the gist. Those types of plays added up to Boozer being a high-teens scorer with above-average rebounding and assists, capable of knocking down the open 3-pointer, with solid-to-strong defensive upside. That's what I expected him to be when I got to Vegas, and it's even more what I expect from him coming out of Vegas. As the franchise centerpiece for the new-look Grizzlies, Boozer projects to be right there as potentially the top fantasy rookie with a strong chance to win Rookie of the Year.
Caleb Wilson, PF, Chicago Bulls: Upgrade
Wilson was the elite prospect who most changed his potential and projections with his summer league performance. Because he demonstrated an entirely new skill set that, if he continues in this vein, takes the top off of his upside on offense.
In the first half of Wilson's Las Vegas debut against Boozer's Grizzlies, I overheard another NBA scout/analyst describe Wilson this way: "Caleb is playing like he's a good 3-point shooter when he's not." But then, a funny thing happened, Wilson started knocking down 3-pointers. A lot of them. From every angle. From my notes after that comment, starting in the second half:
"Wilson sets pick but pops. Gets ball back outside the 3-point line, isos into a step-back 3 and made it over Coward."
"Next time down, another trey from Wilson."
"Three in a row! Opposite elbow, just knocked down another one."
A bit later:
"Wilson with catch and shoot 3-pointer. I think that's like five this game."
"Wilson sets up for step-back 3 and draws the foul."
By the end of the game, Wilson had 35 points, including seven 3-pointers. He made only seven 3-pointers in his lone season at North Carolina before injuries ended his campaign, and projected as a slasher/finisher on offense at the NBA level. Wilson is an explosive, quick athlete with excellent lateral movement that, like Dybantsa, would make him a mismatch who is too quick for big defenders and too big for wings. But if he is truly able to make the 3-point shot a consistent weapon on offense, it opens things up for Wilson to have superstar potential as a scorer, if he works on his free throws. Wilson made just 3-of-13 from the line in Las Vegas, clearly having emphasized 3-point shooting much more than free throw shooting.
Wilson also has some of the best fantasy defensive upside in this draft class and showed that in Las Vegas. In his debut against Boozer's Grizzlies, Wilson notched two steals and three blocks. All told, he had nine blocked shots in three summer league games.
Other Vegas standouts among lottery prospects
Keaton Wagler, G, LA Clippers: Steady
After a largely quiet debut game against Darius Acuff Jr. and the Sacramento Kings, Wagler was off to a similarly quiet second game early against Peterson's Jazz. But during one second-quarter possession, he got the ball in an iso situation from the elbow of the 3-point line. I leaned over to the person next to me and said, "one thing about Wagler ... he can shoot." He never dribbled, but went from triple-threat into a smooth 3-pointer ... swish! A couple of plays later, he got the ball again out top, and I repeated, "he can shoot." Swish. And again. And again. It became a game, could I get out the words "he can shoot" before he, in fact, did. Often, I couldn't, because once he got in the groove Wagler was knocking them down as quickly as he got the ball.
I'm not sure about Wagler's upside as a floor general or offense creator as a point guard at the next level. And, much like last season's eventual Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel, Wagler's Las Vegas performance was patchy with long stretches in which he wasn't overly effective. But one thing is for sure ... he can shoot. For a Clippers team in limbo over the Kawhi Leonard situation, Wagler's shooting could be a cornerstone for the franchise moving forward.
Mikel Brown Jr., G, Brooklyn Nets: Upgrade
Brown is a balanced prospect who, in many ways, felt like a backcourt version of Boozer. He wasn't particularly flashy, but he seemed as if he made the right decision on most possessions on both offense and defense. He was quick enough to get wherever he wanted off the dribble, and showed the ability to create his own looks but also to set up teammates.
His 4.0 to 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio was solid, not spectacular, but showed he has the ability to set up teammates in addition to scoring. He dropped 20 points against the Knicks and 16 against the Kings, and if he earns starting minutes on the rebuilding Nets, I could see Brown scoring in the midteens as a rookie. He also has good defensive upside, with his 1.7 steals average in summer league an indication he could be a plus fantasy defender as a rookie.
Darius Acuff Jr., G, Sacramento Kings: Steady
I've been very high on Acuff's potential to be a high-volume producer as a rookie for the Kings, and I still think he can be that. But Acuff wasn't as aggressive or productive in Vegas as some of the other elite players, at least in the games I watched. The skill set was clearly there in his Las Vegas debut against the Clippers, for example. Acuff was visibly quicker and more explosive when matched up with No. 5 pick Wagler. And he was able to get where he wanted off the dribble to create shots for himself. But he really struggled with his scoring efficiency and his turnovers, which made it difficult for him to set up his teammates.
To be fair to Acuff, though, his teammates in Vegas weren't finishing particularly well and he probably should have had more assists than he did. In my notes from his first game against the Clippers, I started tracking "should-be assists" and noted he probably should've had seven assists at the end of the first half. Particularly egregious were a couple of possessions late in the first half in which he set up teammates for open close-range shots that they just missed. Ultimately, I think playing with better players, including All-Star Domantas Sabonis, will have a positive impact on Acuff as both a scorer and a distributor.
Kingston Flemings, G, Atlanta Hawks: Steady
Morez Johnson Jr., F, Dallas Mavericks: Steady
Yaxel Lendeborg, F, Golden State Warriors: Upgrade
I'm grouping these three because all three played well, but all three project to roles with their NBA teams as rookies that could be more valuable to their teams than to fantasy managers. Flemings is the third guard on a Hawks team with two strong veteran guards and playoffs aspirations. Both Johnson and Lendeborg could have a path to potential near-starter-minutes for their teams, but neither are likely to produce big fantasy numbers. In Vegas, both Johnson and Lendeborg displayed mature games with NBA bodies and skill sets. I could imagine them as low-double-digit scorers on solid efficiency with good defense as rookies if they get enough playing time. But, like Flemings, they have enough cap on their upside that they probably enter the season as more "keep-an-eye-on" than potential fantasy draft picks.
Brayden Burries, G, Milwaukee Bucks: Upgrade
Burries had a great summer league by the numbers, averaging more than 22 points on excellent shooting percentages (50 FG%, 44 3P%) during the first few games. But more than that, he was playing in a way that could translate to a larger role as a rookie on a rebuilding Bucks franchise. He'll be competing with several veteran players for playing time, so it's by no means a guarantee that he earns starter minutes. But he was impressive enough in Las Vegas that him earning near-starter-minutes as a rookie is now in play, and if he does it could translate to viable fantasy production at some point during the season.
