Last Updated on July 19, 2026 11:43 pm by Keston Paul | Published: July 19, 2026

The California Classic and Salt Lake City were prequels to the major event in Las Vegas. There was a lot of high-end talent on display in the “smaller” Summer Leagues, so if you want a review of the action from July 3 to July 7, click here. We will be focusing on Vegas in this one.

Here is a review of how to approach Summer League…

Stats and roles are not directly transferable to the NBA

First, remember that many of these players have not played in months (if they were in college) so there could have some rust, and it is a small sample size of a few games. If you play fantasy basketball, you know that any player can have an underwhelming stretch or otherworldly stretch of games over a week or two during the regular season, so why not Summer League?

Summer League is both an exhibition and a chance for development. That means many players will be put into bigger or “uncomfortable” roles to showcase what they can do or allow them some reps (typically on-ball) that they may not get at the NBA level. Besides that, remember that these are thrown-together teams, so there isn’t time to build much chemistry. The floor-spacing in Summer League is also typically much worse than in the NBA, and since each player gets 10 personal fouls before disqualification (in 40-minute games), the games are scrappier and quite physical. Besides the “star rookies” and returning players, Summer League also features players fighting for a place in the NBA and that desperation could incentivize them to prioritize their own stats.

All of the above combine into a lot of physical play and miscommunications that lead to inefficiency and turnovers — meaning steals and blocks can become inflated — but we will touch on this more later…

Summer League results do not typically translate into early or direct success

2025-26 Summer League MVP

Kyle Filipowski

2025-26 All-Summer League First Team

• Nique Clifford
• Kyle Filipowski
• David Jones Garcia
• Jordan Miller
• Terrence Shannon Jr.

2025-26 All-Summer League Second Team

• Ron Holland II
• Isaac Jones
• Kon Knueppel
• Ajay Mitchell
• KJ Simpson

Knueppel had a historic rookie season, leading the NBA in 3-pointers, while Mitchell was a breakout second-year player in fantasy basketball. Besides those two, no one had season-long success in the 2025-26 regular season. Filipowski had flashes here and there until Jusuf Nurkic joined Walker Kessler on the sidelines in Utah, leading to a strong finish in “silly season.” Clifford was very much the same, generally suffering from inefficiency as a rookie after a strong Summer League, finally rising to useful streaming appeal and low-end 12-team intrigue during “silly season” in 2025-26.

Miller had good stints for deep leagues, while Holland had “moments” here and there, but Shannon was mostly invisible until the NBA playoffs, and the trio of Jones Garcia, I. Jones amd Simpson were not noteworthy on their two-way contracts. Pelle Larsson also deserves a shout for looking “too smart for Summer League” last year and having useful streaming moments throughout the 2025-26 NBA season, but again, he was never near to secure, must-roster value for standard leagues.

2024 Summer League
First Team: GG Jackson, Jordan Miller, Reed Sheppard, Scotty Pippen Jr., Kel’el Ware
Second Team: Bub Carrington, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jarace Walker, Jalen Wilson (the MVP), Donovan Clingan

Pippen really should have been the MVP that year and had a bit of a breakout fantasy season in 2024-25, but as you can tell from reading this list of names, many of these players only had flashes or brief moments as a rookie or returning player until getting a shot in “silly season” or seeing their role grow in the following season, 2025-26.

2023 Summer League
First Team: Keyonte George, Sam Merrill, Cam Whitmore (the MVP), Hunter Tyson, Orlando Robinson
Second Team: Javon Freeman-Liberty, Max Christie, Xavier Moon, Emoni Bates, Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Wilson

George finally blossomed into a potential All-Star player in 2025-26, but in the prior seasons, he was more of an inconsistent 12-team contributor hanging around that end-of-roster or high-end streamer range. Merrill had a strong 2025-26, but was also more in and out of the rotation in prior years. Christie and Smith have established themselves as players, while Whitmore is the only other name who has a chance of still making an impact in the NBA here.

So what do we learn and take away from Summer League?

For returning players: You want them to look like they don’t belong, in a positive fashion. Anyone entering their second or third year in the NBA should either be putting up big numbers, or contextually, just looking a level above even if it isn’t translating to stats because of the team around them. That might be processing the game faster than everyone else on the floor, or being physically and athletically dominant in some way (speed, strength, etc.). You also want to look for any new or unexpected skills and how players may deal with doing more than they are used to. Sometimes that is just the team “forcing them to be uncomfortable,” like Jarace Walker being a ball-handler and taking a lot of 3-pointers in the 2025 edition, or Kyshawn George showing off some more offensive know-how last year as well. Some of that stuff translates over to the NBA on a smaller scale with secondary ball-handling and so on. There are always some older standouts like RayJ Dennis, Jahmir Young or Darius Bazley in prior editions who may warrant a two-way contract but probably little else. If you are 25 years or older at Summer League, that is likely the best-case outcome for those players with an unlikely path to real fantasy value.

For the rookies and young guys: Is there a standout trait compared to their peers? Perhaps they are already more physically developed, or perhaps they are processing the game better, or maybe they showed something that wasn’t as evident in their pre-draft profile. Rookie Keyonte George showed a higher level of playmaking on the Summer League platform than many expected. Terrence Shannon Jr. was a physical and athletic class ahead of his peers as an older prospect during his rookie Summer League outing — and we saw some of that translating in the 2026 NBA playoffs a couple of years later.

For fantasy basketball: Even everything said above needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. George and Shannon’s impact had more dynasty implications than redraft implications, and on a similar note, Rob Dillingham is yet to do much in the NBA after slicing up Summer League with his speed and creation in prior editions. Basically, yes, there are things worth noting, but remember it can still be hit-or-miss.

Here is an interesting post showing how stats correlate to rookie performances in the NBA as well:

ICYMI: i looked at which summer league stats are the stickiest — which ones can tell us something about how a player will perform in their rookie season

thef5.substack.com/p/summer-lea…

[image or embed]

— Owen Phillips (@owenphillips.bsky.social) July 19, 2025 at 7:23 PM

Las Vegas Summer League: Key Dates

2026 Vegas Summer League: July 9-19
July 9-17: Preliminary Rounds (each team plays four games)
July 18: Top-4 Teams in Semifinals & Consolation Games
July 19: Championship Game & Consolation Games

Last Notes

Be aware of the new rule for free throws being tested at Summer League. Essentially, a player will only attempt one free throw for a 2-point or 3-point foul, but this rule is not applied in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime.

The one free throw rule will be tested at the upcoming NBA summer leagues.

With this rule, any foul that would typically result in one, two or three free throws under standard NBA rules will instead result in a single free throw attempt. That attempt will be worth the same… pic.twitter.com/tFiOpJLnQW

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 2, 2026

Keep the above in mind when you look at shooting splits mentioned in this article or on our blurb feed. From a broader perspective, it is highly unlikely that this would ever be implemented in the NBA since it can negatively impact FT%, as players are typically more likely to hit the second free throw.

Expect most (or all) of the analysis below to center around the names noted as “key players,” especially any incoming rookies. The other notable players are some mixture of players already on two-way contracts, players formerly on two-way contracts, interesting undrafted free agents or unsigned players who have already “been around” the NBA. Those players are either less likely to translate into any new fantasy impact, or aren’t guaranteed to get a contract, hence the focus on the key names. Of course, those “seasoned vets” might help the younger guys around them at Summer League, so you could say it gives you an indication of the strength of the team as well.

Players drafted in 2026 will have their pick spot indicated in parentheses. While all players in the first round will get full-time, standard contracts, the second-round picks can either get a two-way contract or a standard deal. If an announcement hasn’t been made on the contract type yet, “TBD” (to be determined) will be tagged alongside the pick spot. If something has been announced, you will see either “two-way” or “standard.”

If you are unfamiliar with the incoming draft prospects, you can peruse our 2026 NBA Draft Primer: Prospect Profiles by clicking here to get a better idea of players’ traits and potential fantasy translations. We covered 69 players, so there is something to learn for the majority of names, but there might be a couple who slipped through the cracks.

2026 Las Vegas Summer League: Teams with a Lottery Player

TJ Sorrentine

Summer League Head Coach, Washington Wizards

Key Players:
AJ Dybantsa (No. 1 pick)
Felix Okpara (No. 46 pick, two-way)
Tre Johnson
Will Riley

Other Notable Players: Jamir Watkins (two-way), Julian Reese (two-way), Kadary Richmond, Reece Beekman, Chris Livingston, Seth Trimble

AJ Dybantsa (No. 1 pick)

Dybantsa tied the Summer League scoring record for a No. 1 pick’s debut with 27 points (Blake Griffin is the other), adding seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 26 minutes vs. the Jazz. He sat out the last couple of minutes due to cramping, so he could’ve certainly taken the record outright. Dybantsa’s ability to get to the basket was on full display, using his tight dribble, long strides and good footwork. He did take some bad shots, like a turnaround long midrange fadeaway over a double-team, and was generally unsuccessful scoring from range. He went 7-of-18 from the field and 7-of-8 from the line (remember the adjusted free-throw rules in Summer League), and should immediately provide points, some boards and FT% impact for fantasy. Inefficiency could be an issue and lackluster assists, steals and blocks could also be troublesome as a rookie. Dynasty-wise, Dybantsa should continue developing as a playmaker as he did so throughout his year in college and had an impressive assist in this one, likely being a respectable enough passer to keep defenses honest in time as an average to above-average assists threat for fantasy a few years down the line.

Dybantsa did pick up some steals and blocks in some Summer League games, but remember, those are inflated in Summer League. He takes the challenge as a 1-on-1 defender, but can lack focus and get lost as an off-ball defender in the team structure.

Tre Johnson

Johnson already showed that he was too good for Summer League from an offensive perspective last season, but he gave us a reminder with 26 points (11-of-20 FG, 1-of-1 FT), two triples, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 28 minutes vs. the Jazz. Fantasy-wise, even if we think Johnson starts for Washington, his upside might be limited because there is a bit of a question of “what else” he provides besides points and threes. He had a stint as a rookie giving us around 1.0 to 1.2 steals per game for a few weeks, which put him in the low-end 12-team range, but his rookie season was marred by injury… and uh, let’s say an environment not focused on winning games. Johnson isn’t a good defender, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still pick up steals, and if he can do so consistently enough, maybe that is what puts him into the 12-team range. However, he needs touches and at the NBA level on a team that will have many mouths to feed, he might just be penciled into the off-ball movement shooter role, and that could cap him, at least in 2026-27.

Given Johnson’s defensive issues, he might also be limited to being a sixth man.

Will Riley

While it was the AJ Dybantsa and Tre Johnson show vs. the Jazz, Riley had 18 points (5-of-12 FG, 5-of-6 FT), one trey, three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes. Riley has commented on trying to bulk up during the offseason, while working on his ball-handling and generally ironing out “loose ends” in his game. He had some good flashes throughout the game “getting his,” but will likely only be a bench player next season. Being a consistent part of the rotation would obviously be a step forward, but that is still only pertinent to managers in deep leagues.

Riley followed that up with 32 points (9-of-14 FG, 5-of-6 FT), six 3-pointers, six rebounds and three assists across 29 minutes and was promptly shut down after showing he was too good for Summer League.

Felix Okpara (No. 46 pick, two-way)

The Jazz made a bit of a concerted effort to have their roll man disrupt Okpara with Gortat screens, so we didn’t get to see much of his defensive potential. The broadcast noted that the Wizards want to develop Okpara’s offense, which makes sense, as his defensive feel was already thought to be good coming out of college, but the offense was way too rough to hang in the NBA. Expect that process to continue, and he should spend a lot of time in the G League as a rookie.

Steve Wojciechowski

Summer League Head Coach, Utah Jazz

Key Players:
Darryn Peterson (2nd pick)
Ace Bailey (limited by back spasms)
Cody Williams

Other Notable Players: Blake Hinson (two-way), Trey Alexander (two-way), Tamar Bates (two-way), Eric Dixon, Bez Mbeng, Kylor Kelley, Jonas Aidoo

Darryn Peterson (2nd pick)

Peterson had a strong showing in Salt Lake City, but got off to a topsy-turvy start in Vegas. He finished with 24 points (6-of-18 FG, 6-of-8 FT), three boards, three assists and one block in 30 minutes vs. the Wizards. Jamir Watkins is arguably already an NBA-level point-of-attack defender, but is way too limited offensively to play big NBA minutes. Watkins was checking Peterson full-court, and with 10 fouls to give, he was willing to use them by being aggressive and physical. Peterson tried to be physical in turn and both players finished the game with nine fouls. The physicality and aggressive coverages definitely disrupted Peterson, and maybe shows a wrinkle where he could struggle at times as a rookie. He is definitely strong, but his frame can continue improving. What we haven’t seen is Peterson’s off-ball game in Summer League, and that is fine, because he won’t get this volume of on-ball reps alongside Keyonte George, but the Jazz should want him to be able to do both. Again, Peterson could be in the 12-team mix as a rookie, but he might need a strong finish to do it and may not necessarily be worth a real pick in a 12-team redraft format. Dynasty-wise, his ceiling is as good as anyone in this draft class.

Peterson generally felt a bit overtasked once there wasn’t a real No. 2 beside him, as teams could solely focus on him as the only creative threat. It is a positive that he has gotten through Salt Lake City and Vegas without any indication of health issues like he had in college. We love seeing Peterson healthy!

Also again, Peterson is the best off-ball player of the top-3 group, and he didn’t get to do that much in Vegas with the focus on giving him on-ball reps. Jazz head coach Will Hardy will get Peterson looks in various off-ball actions during the NBA season, allowing him more catch-and-shoots and attacks off the catch to improve his efficiency.

Cody Williams

Williams was the secondary ball-handler vs. the Jazz, and felt “safe” for the most part, but was rarely able to get anywhere and cause any real problems. Despite finishing with 16 points (6-of-12 FG, 1-of-2 FT) and two treys, adding five rebounds, two assists, four steals and one block in 30 minutes, Williams rarely felt genuinely threatening. He was also attempting to check AJ Dybantsa on the other end and did his best to make it tough, but Dybantsa’s length and ability to get to his spots came out on top more often than not, but Williams did make it tough at times. His NBA future is probably him morphing into a real 3-and-D guy, which he has said himself, as he is working on his defense and corner threes in the offseason. Fantasy-wise, Williams has never been a good per-minute producer, so even if he is a consistent rotation player off the bench, it is difficult to imagine 15-to-18 MPG of Williams being useful.

Jonas Aidoo

Aidoo deserves a shoutout as a defensive hustle big. He had good rim protection moments vs. the Wizards and in Salt Lake City, but he also gets handsy and fouls too much sometimes. Maybe he can get a two-way contract from someone, but there isn’t enough here for him to crack an NBA rotation. Aidoo had another superb game of rim protection te the Jazz a win vs. the Bulls and got going a bit offensively as well.

Erik Schmidt

Summer League Head Coach, Memphis Grizzlies

Key Players:
Cameron Boozer (No. 3 pick)
Karim Lopez (21st pick), limited by minor injury
Cedric Coward
Walter Clayton Jr., on roster but limited by minor injury
Taylor Hendricks
Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Javon Small (two-way)

Other Notable Players: Jahmai Mashack (two-way), Carson Cooper (UDFA two-way), Tyler Burton, Lawson Lovering

Cameron Boozer (No. 3 pick)

Want more of our 2026 Las Vegas NBA Summer League Notebook? You’ll need to have an Ethos 360, All-Sport or NBA FantasyPass membership. Click here to learn more and sign up! Premium Access Required

  Join our Discord:  Click Here to Join!