2026 NBA summer league: Players to watch on all 30 teams

This year's Las Vegas summer league has a little something for everyone.

AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer headline a highly touted rookie class loaded with star potential. Meanwhile, Collin Murray-Boyles, Khaman Maluach andYang Hansenlead a deep crop of 2025 first-round picks hoping to showcase their progress and earn larger roles in their second seasons.

And top title contenders such as the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will seek to determine whether several key young prospects are ready for rotation minutes.

Here's a team-by-team preview of the players to watch when the Las Vegas summer league action tips off Thursday.

Jump to a team:

ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE

DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND

LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN

NO | NYK| OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX

POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS

Atlanta Hawks

Player to watch:Henri Veesaar

Veesaar, a 7-foot center from Estonia, unexpectedly slipped to the 52nd pick, raising questions about whether he should have returned to UNC for another year of seasoning rather than declaring for the draft.

At the predraft combine in May, Veesaar told CBSSports.com that "getting thrown into the fire is the best way to learn." Unfortunately, that might not be the story of his rookie season in Atlanta, where he'll face an uphill battle for minutes in a crowded big-man rotation that also includes 2026 first-round pick Zuby Ejiofor. If Veesaar can hold his own in Las Vegas, he could silence those who believe he should have spent next season as a well-compensated starter in Chapel Hill.

Boston Celtics

Player to watch:Hugo Gonzalez

Gonzalez, 20, made a cameo appearance during NBA trade season amid reports that the Celtics wouldn't include him in a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Some outsiders wondered why Boston would draw the line at Gonzalez, who averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds as a rookie, before turning aroundand trading Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for a modest return.

But the 2025 first-round pick delivered great value off the bench last season thanks to his energy and defense. Gonzalez posted a plus-11.9 net rating in 74 games, the highest mark by any rookie who logged at least 100 minutes. The Celtics could use summer league to test Gonzalez's capabilities with an expanded offensive role, assuming the 6-6 wing takes the court in Las Vegas after starting for Spain in a pair of FIBA World Cup qualifying games over the past week.

Brooklyn Nets

Player to watch:Mikel Brown Jr.

All eyes in Brooklyn will be on Brown, a scoring point guard who went sixth in last month's draft to become the Nets' highest pick since Derrick Favors in 2010. After a challenging season in which the Nets ranked 30th on offense, the 20-year-old Brown should get every opportunity to take the reins.

The Louisville product's first test will be moving past a back injury that limited him to 21 games as a freshman. From there, the Nets will want to see him score in volume and run the offense in the low-pressure Las Vegas setting.

Charlotte Hornets

Player to watch:Ryan Kalkbrenner

The Hornets won the 2025 Las Vegas summer league championship thanks in large part to Kon Knueppel and Kalkbrenner, their 2025 draft picks. That summer success was a sign of positive things to come, as Knueppel and Kalkbrenner ranked first and second in win shares among rookies, respectively, and helped Charlotte reach the play-in tournament.

Kalkbrenner, a second-round pick from Creighton, is back for more in Las Vegas. Though the Hornets tradedLaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, re-signed Coby White and added forwards Grayson Allen,Royce O'Nealeand Dorian Finney-Smith during a busy summer, they haven't made a major addition at center and appear poised to lean more heavily on Kalkbrenner during his second season.

Chicago Bulls

Player to watch:Caleb Wilson

Wilson will take the court in Las Vegas for his first action since fracturing his left handin February and breaking his right thumb in March. The first setback happened just days after he scored 23 points for UNC in a rivalry win over Duke, and the second ended his promising freshman season. Nevertheless, the Bulls grabbed Wilson with the No. 4 pick, envisioning the athletic 6-10 forward as a key building block for their rebuilding effort.

After being hired in June to replace Billy Donovan as coach, Tiago Splitter will get an up-close look at his new lottery pick when he coaches the Bulls in Las Vegas. The Trail Blazers ranked ninth in pace under Splitter last season, and Splitter will surely emphasize an up-tempo approach in Chicago to make the most of Wilson's comfort in transition.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Player to watch:Meleek Thomas

Let's be honest: LeBron James' potential return to Cleveland just might overshadow the team's summer league slate. While the veteran-dominated Cavaliers didn't have a first-round selection last month, they snagged 19-year-old Thomas early in the second round.

Thomas averaged 15.6 points and shot 41.6% on 3-pointers during his freshman season at Arkansas. The 6-5 guard's outside shooting could prove handy if the Cavaliers must trade away wing talent to facilitate James' arrival.

Dallas Mavericks

Player to watch:Morez Johnson Jr.

Dallas split with the predraft consensus by making Johnson the first of three University of Michigan players selected in the lottery. Of course, the Mavericks had an inside man: They hired Dusty May as their coach a few months after he guided the Wolverines to the NCAA title.

Johnson projects to have a significant role as a rookie thanks to his high activity level on both ends. May encouraged the imposing 6-9 power forward to extend his shooting range at Michigan, so it would make sense for Johnson to spend some time at summer league getting comfortable with the NBA's deeper 3-point arc.

Denver Nuggets

Player to watch:Trevon Brazile

The Nuggets are taking a different approach to summer league than most teams: Their roster has six players who are 25 or older but doesn't include a single player younger than 22. Clearly, Denver is more interested in finding established players to complement veterans Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordonthan investing in long-term developmental projects.

Denver's new second-round picks are emblematic of the general approach: Brazile, 23, and Bryce Hopkins, 24, each played five seasons of collegiate basketball. Brazile, a 6-9 forward who pencils in as a backup for Gordon, averaged 13 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as a starter for Arkansas last season.

Detroit Pistons

Player to watch:Ebuka Okorie

While the Pistons entered the summer needing another backcourt playmaker, their biggest veteran additions were sharpshooter Isaiah Joe and athletic forward John Collins. That could signal organizational confidence that Okorie, the 17th pick in this year's draft, could step in as a rookie to help fill the void.

Okorie, 19, averaged 23.2 points and 3.6 assists per game during his one-and-done season at Stanford, leading the ACC in scoring. His downhill attacking style looks like a natural fit in summer league, and Detroit should be motivated to turn him loose as it seeks to diversify an offense that was overly dependent on franchise guard Cade Cunningham.

Golden State Warriors

Player to watch:Yaxel Lendeborg

The Warriors drafted Lendeborg to be a plug-and-play role player for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but they have every reason to expect him to be a summer league standout given that he was the oldest player selected in the first round.

Remarkably, the 23-year-old Lendeborg was in the same high school class as Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley, who are set to enter their sixth NBA seasons. After earning All-America honors and winning a national championship at Michigan, the versatile forward should thrive as a scorer and multi-positional defender in Las Vegas.

Houston Rockets

Player to watch:Bruce Thornton

The Rockets re-signed Tari Eason and added free agents Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic this summer, but those moves didn't directly address their dire need for additional initiators and distributors. The door remains open for Thornton, a 2026 second-round pick, to compete for minutes behind Fred VanVleet.

Thornton, 22, departed Ohio State after four seasons as the program's all-time leading scorer, and he posted an impressive 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio as a senior. The undersized guard will be Houston's top priority in Las Vegas because he was its only addition in this year's draft.

Indiana Pacers

Player to watch:Braden Smith

Don't be surprised if Smith quickly cultivates a cult following among summer league die-hards. The feisty 22-year-old guard is an Indiana native and four-year starter at Purdue who landed with the Pacers as a 2026 second-round pick.

Smith is small by NBA standards (5-10, 167 pounds), but he dished 1,103 assists at Purdue to unseat Duke's Bobby Hurley as the NCAA's all-time leader. Minutes will be hard to come by on the Pacers once franchise guard Tyrese Haliburton returns from his Achilles injury, so be sure to savor Smith's old-school floor generalship in Las Vegas.

LA Clippers

Player to watch:Keaton Wagler

Wagler was a big winner of the Clippers' decision to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors and embrace a youth movement. Rather than entering the NBA as a secondary priority for a veteran team facing playoff expectations, the 19-year-old guard should get more of an opportunity to learn on the job as part of a developing roster.

Summer league play should shine a light on how ready Wagler is to contribute as a rookie. Optimists will point out that he led the country's most efficient offense in points and assists per game at Illinois, while pessimists might note that he's only a few years removed from being a lightly regarded high school prospect. If nothing else, Wagler's dependable outside shooting -- 39.7% on 3s as a freshman -- should help him make an impact in Las Vegas.

Los Angeles Lakers

Player to watch:Adou Thiero

Thiero, 22, was occasionally called on to provide energy and defense off the Lakers' bench as a rookie. After a busy summer in which Los Angeles added several scoring guards but lost some of its frontcourt depth, Lakers coach JJ Redick could find more opportunities to play the 6-7 forward next season.

To really make a mark, the 2025 second-round pick must better calibrate his pace of play and show more confidence as a scoring threat. While Thiero may not develop into a capable outside shooter, the Lakers will want to see him find other ways to challenge defenses and manufacture points in Las Vegas.

Memphis Grizzlies

Player to watch:Cameron Boozer

The Grizzlies wasted no time reorienting their plans around Boozer: They traded away former franchise guard Ja Morant to reset their organizational timeline and acquired center Isaiah Stewart so the 6-9 power forward will have more cover inside.

Boozer won National Player of the Year honors as a Duke freshman because he was almost always the most talented and hardest-working player on the court. In one measure of his all-around impact, Boozer ranked third in win shares among college freshmen over the past 25 years behind only Kevin Love and Michael Beasley. His headiness and 3-point range should help him make a smooth transition to the NBA level, but his ability to score inside against professional athletes will go under the microscope in Las Vegas.

Miami Heat

Player to watch:Ryan Conwell

The Heat parted with its 2026 lottery pick to land Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade last month. That left Conwell, a second-round pick, as its only draft night addition. The 22-year-old guard shot 37.6% from beyond the arc during a four-year collegiate career that included stops at South Florida, Indiana State, Xavier and Louisville.

As a senior, Conwell launched 17.5 3-point attempts per 100 possessions, which would have ranked second in the NBA last season behind LaMelo Ball. Miami looks like a good match: The Heat need more shooting to space the court around Antetokounmpo, a skilled paint scorer whose average shot distance was a career-low 6.1 feet last season.

Milwaukee Bucks

Player to watch:Nate Ament

Bucks general manager Jon Horst recently hailed Ament as the University of Tennessee's "best player" last season, adding that the 19-year-old forward proved to be "mentally tough [and] physically tough" while managing an ankle injury during his freshman campaign. After trading Giannis Antetokounmpo in June, Horst's Bucks bet on Ament's long-term upside with the lottery pick they received from the Heat.

Though the athletic Ament averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Volunteers, he managed only seven points on 2-of-12 shooting in a season-ending loss to Michigan in the NCAA tournament. That subpar showing against the Wolverines, who boasted three lottery picks in their frontcourt, raised questions about his ability to make an immediate impact as a rookie.

A Bucks source expressed hope Tuesday that Ament will play in summer league now that the Antetokounmpo trade has been officially completed, but his summer league status remains uncertain.Brayden Burries, Milwaukee's other 2026 first-rounder, competed in the California Classic this week and is a go for Las Vegas.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Player to watch:Joan Beringer

Beringer, 19, looks like the biggest beneficiary of the Timberwolves' decision to move Julius Randle and Naz Reid in separate trades this summer. After all, Randle and Reid combined to log 4,426 minutes last season, and Minnesota didn't receive any big men back in the deals.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch suddenly has a gaping hole in his frontcourt rotation, and Beringer is in line to help fill it. The French center, who was selected 17th in 2025, played only spot minutes as a rookie, but he boasts the size, length and athletic tools to become a solid interior defender. Minnesota would be thrilled if he could consistently protect the rim and avoid foul trouble at summer league.

New Orleans Pelicans

Player to watch:Jaron Pierre Jr.

The Pelicans have proceeded through a sleepy summer after hiring coach Jamahl Mosley: They didn't have a first-round pick, and they haven't made any noteworthy trades or free agency signings. Perhaps the front office believes a new voice and internal development will drive the team's improvement after a 26-win campaign.

In keeping with its low-profile offseason, New Orleans didn't include 2025 lottery picks Jeremiah Fears or Derik Queen on its Summer League roster. Instead, Pelicans fans will get to watch Pierre, a New Orleans native and 2026 second-round pick. The 6-5 guard, who graduated high school in 2020, averaged 17.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for SMU last season.

New York Knicks

Player to watch:Mohamed Diawara

The Knicks might be better off hosting another championship parade rather than making the trip to Las Vegas. New York will return its entire starting lineup for its title defense, and bench minutes will be hard to come by after guards Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado re-signed in free agency.

While Diawara hardly got to see the court during the playoffs, the 2025 second-round pick signed a new multiyear contract in June and will serve as the Knicks' summer league headliner. The 21-year-old French forward is back for his second run in the showcase after averaging 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last year.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Player to watch:Aday Mara

The Thunder selected Mara with the No. 12 pick to add size and depth to a frontcourt that couldn't keep up with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in the Western Conference finals. After spending two seasons coming off the bench for UCLA, the 7-3 Spaniard transferred to Michigan and enjoyed a breakout junior season for the national champion Wolverines.

Scouts will be watching how well Mara adjusts to the fast pace of play in Las Vegas. The 21-year-old center played the fewest minutes of Michigan's three lottery picks last season, and he showed signs of fatigue at times during the NCAA tournament.

Orlando Magic

Player to watch:Jase Richardson

Richardson, 20, has a lot at stake as he enters his second season. Despite a long list of injuries to key teammates, the 2025 first-round pick struggled to find minutes as a rookie in a crowded backcourt. Once the Magic reached the playoffs, Richardson was excised from the rotation in favor of more experienced options.

The 6-1 scoring guard should view summer league as his chance to make a good first impression on new Magic coach Sean Sweeney. With Orlando on track to bring back its entire starting lineup and several top reserves from last season, Richardson must prove he can get to the free throw line more regularly and hold his own defensively against bigger opponents.

Philadelphia 76ers

Player to watch:Labaron Philon Jr.

Philadelphia's moves to add Jaylen Brown and Anfernee Simons suggest Philon won't be thrown into the deep end as a rookie. Still, the 2026 first-round pick has enough scoring chops to get loose in Las Vegas and give 76ers fans a taste of the future.

During his sophomore season at Alabama, the 20-year-old Philon averaged 22.0 points and 5.0 assists per game while nearly posting 50/40/80 shooting splits. Philadelphia should put the ball in his hands at summer league to gauge how well that excellent scoring efficiency translates against professional competition.

Phoenix Suns

Player to watch:Khaman Maluach

Ten of the first 11 players selected in the 2025 NBA draft logged at least 1,200 minutes as rookies. Maluach was the lone exception with just 411 minutes in 46 appearances, so the 7-1 center enters his second season with nowhere to go but up.

While Suns coach Jordan Ott generally favored smaller and more dynamic lineups, Phoenix's shaky interior defense was exposed by the Oklahoma City Thunder during a first-round sweep. The 19-year-old Maluach was an impressive rim protector during his one-and-done season at Duke, and he should get major minutes as a back-line anchor in Las Vegas.

Portland Trail Blazers

Player to watch:Yang Hansen

Portland was the only team not to pick in the 2026 NBA draft, so all eyes will return to the 7-1 Yang, the 16th pick in 2025. The enormous Chinese center, who averaged 10.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in last year's Las Vegas summer league, was drafted as a long-term project and made little impact in limited minutes as a rookie.

Yang is an unusually skilled passer for a player of his size, but his defensive awareness and agility must improve to earn a larger role on a Blazers team seeking its second straight playoff trip. Basketball fans in his home country are carefully tracking his progress: 5.2 million Chinese viewers watched one of his 2025 summer league games.

Sacramento Kings

Player to watch:Darius Acuff Jr.

The conditions look just right for Acuff to emerge as one of the most discussed prospects in Las Vegas: The 2026 No. 7 pick is the Kings' top developmental priority, and he has a chip on his shoulder after three guards were taken before him on draft night.

Sure enough, the University of Arkansas product launched 29 shots to score 25 points in his California Classic debut, a July 4 win over the Nets. Acuff led the SEC with 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game as a freshman, and his 29.5 usage rate in college strongly suggests he'd prefer to take the reins in Sacramento as soon as possible. If Acuff's efficiency winds up matching his self-confidence, he has an excellent chance to be a star.

San Antonio Spurs

Player to watch:Tarris Reed Jr.

It's worth pausing to recognize that less than three years elapsed between Victor Wembanyama's shaky 2023 Las Vegas summer league debut and his 2026 NBA Finals appearance. That's the definition of a fast track. Though San Antonio's summer league should be less newsworthy this time around, the 22-year-old Reed will be worth keeping an eye on given that there are minutes available behind Wembanyama and Luke Kornet in the Spurs' frontcourt rotation.

Reed, the 26th pick in the 2026 draft, arrives in San Antonio after a four-year college career split between Michigan and UConn. The physical, traditional big man will be asked to clear the boards and protect the paint. Meanwhile, Jayden Quaintance, the Spurs' other 2026 first-round pick, will sit out summer league as he continues an extended recovery from knee surgery.

Toronto Raptors

Player to watch:Collin Murray-Boyles

Murray-Boyles was simply a great find with the eighth pick in 2025: His high activity level and positional versatility helped Toronto finish as a top-five defense, and he ranked third in true shooting percentage among rookies who logged at least 1,000 minutes. That two-way impact earned the 21-year-old forward a spot on the all-rookie second team.

Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe were the only rookies to get more playing time in the 2026 playoffs than Murray-Boyles, so the Raptors probably won't ask that much of him in Las Vegas. Still, it would be nice to see whether he can quickly form a bond with Allen Graves, a heady forward from Santa Clara University who was Toronto's 2026 first-round pick.

Utah Jazz

Player to watch:Darryn Peterson

League executives will be tracking Peterson's progress closely after a strange and injury-plagued freshman season in which he appeared in only 24 games and logged fewer than 700 minutes. The good news: The 2026 No. 2 pick got straight to work in his July 4 debut at the Salt Lake City summer league, scoring a game-high 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting in a win over the Atlanta Hawks.

While Peterson's polished scoring should make him a leading Rookie of the Year candidate, Las Vegas will give him a chance to showcase his disruptive defense and answer questions about his passing ability. As a Kansas freshman, Peterson registered the same number of assists as turnovers (38) and posted the lowest assist rate among the top eight picks in June's draft.

Washington Wizards

Player to watch:AJ Dybantsa

Dybantsa's game is tailor-made for summer league's fast and loose gameplay. The 2026 first pick is a high-usage scorer who can create off the dribble, finish above the rim and parade to the free throw line. The BYU product's 25.5 points per game last season led the nation and ranked fourth among one-and-done lottery picks over the past 25 years, trailing only Trae Young, Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant.

In a Las Vegas summer league tradition, Dybantsa's Wizards will face Peterson's Jazz on Thursday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN) in an opening night showdown between the top two picks. Expect the 6-9 Dybantsa to enjoy an ultra-green light: Washington ranked 29th in offensive efficiency last season, and the franchise hasn't had a rookie average more than 17 points per game since relocating to the nation's capital in 1973. The Wizards need him to get buckets from day one.

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