NBA Summer League 2026

[SparzWizard]

How is this even possible...Memphis ended the 1st quarter with a 32-2 lead over the Atlanta Hawks.

32-2 End of 1st. How??

[Celtics2021]

Hey, this is just summer league.  The real Hawks were outscored 39-4 in about 10 minutes in an elimination game against the Knicks in April.

[Goldstar88]

(From ESPN)

Summer league MVP: Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies

He averaged 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in six games. On a per-minute basis, those numbers weren't far off his production during his sensational freshman season at Duke.

Boozer's effectiveness as an interior scorer vacillated depending on the size of his matchup: He expertly exploited mismatches against smaller defenders but found tougher sledding when he tried to operate in the trees. Because he's such a polished and intelligent player, Boozer mostly found the right in-game adjustments when stymied and moved well around the perimeter.

Most electric rookie: Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls

Wilson compiled averages of 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.5 blocks per game in four appearances. His competitive pride came through in his finale: He scrapped with the Lakers until blood covered his jersey, and he jawed with a defender so aggressively that the two parties eventually had to be separated.

The most eye-popping aspect of Wilson's game is his leaping ability: He gets off the ground faster, skies higher and levitates longer than his opponents. No wonder Kevin Garnett, the former teenage sensation turned Hall of Famer, sat courtside last Thursday to get a look at Wilson.

Most intriguing rookie: Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz

The second pick averaged 20.7 points and 4.0 assists in his three appearances, and he gave glimpses of his well-honed ability to create space off the dribble and score in a variety of ways. Even so, he was unable to put to bed some of the biggest questions about his game.

Despite describing himself as a point guard in the predraft process, Peterson registered more turnovers than assists and looked confused at times while navigating double-teams and traps. That wouldn't have been overly concerning if he was scoring with ease, but Peterson struggled to find the touch on his jumper and finished with 31/23/76 shooting splits.

While the 6-foot-5 guard has the physical tools and level-headed demeanor to become a perennial All-Star, he didn't really take Las Vegas by storm. The wait for his breakthrough continues.

Most disappointing rookie: Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder

The 7-foot-3 center enters the NBA as a very skilled passer, and his best moments in Las Vegas involved him whipping the ball to cutters for high-percentage looks in the paint. Otherwise, Mara found his own scoring opportunities hard to come by, and he didn't command the basket area that well on either end for a player with his size and length.

Oklahoma City was the only team to go winless in Las Vegas, and Mara, the No. 11 pick, averaged just 8.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in his three appearances.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Hey, this is just summer league.  The real Hawks were outscored 39-4 in about 10 minutes in an elimination game against the Knicks in April.

lol

[Who]

ESPN

Two sleepers / standout performers

Rookies making summer league headlines

On the floor from Las Vegas, one of the players who generated some buzz was Cavs second-round pick Meleek Thomas, who led the summer league at 27.3 points per game on 50% shooting, including 44% from 3 on eight attempts per game. He had a 15-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio and eight steals in four games.

"To say he's got a scorer's mentality is an understatement; the guy has his eye on the rim from the scorer's table," one scout said. "He's got an awkward shot, but he gets it off, and he can score at all three levels, though he doesn't look for contact and barely ever gets to the line. I can't see him playing anywhere close to this style in the league very much, but the scoring talent is undeniable."

Among the lottery picks, scouts also were pleased with what they saw from Milwaukee Bucks guard Brayden Burries and the Golden State Warriors' Yaxel Lendeborg, who was named MVP of the summer league championship game.

"You can look at the stats and see [Burries] scored, and lots of guys can score here," another scout said. "But when you see a young guard handle the ball as much as him and not turn it over, that tells you something about his makeup, at least at this stage."

Burries largely played off the ball at Arizona, but the Bucks used him as a primary ball handler in Las Vegas, where he had just three turnovers in four games, playing 108 minutes. He also averaged 23.5 points on 50% shooting and made a game-winning shot with 1.5 seconds left against the Philadelphia 76ers.

And one guy who struggled

On the other end of the spectrum, there was some concern about the play of Sacramento Kings lottery guard Darius Acuff Jr. He played in five games across the summer leagues in San Francisco and Las Vegas, and he shot 35% from the field and just 27% on 3s. He averaged 20.8 points but took 20 shots per game and had 19 turnovers with 23 assists.

"A lot of rookie guards will struggle at summer league; it's not the end of the world. But [Acuff] was the loudest of the [rookie lottery guards] struggling," a West scout said. "His defense wasn't great, and his floor game was rough at times. I don't care that much about bad shooting. What did Steph [Curry] shoot in summer league? No one remembers. It's a couple games."

On the bright side, Acuff finished summer league with a 9-of-18 shooting performance and his summer-best 26 points against the Brooklyn Nets.