Bullet point summary by AI
- The opening night of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas showcased breakout performances from several top rookies and rising young players.
- AJ Dybantsa led the Wizards with 27 points, while Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg turned heads with dominant double-doubles.
- These early standouts offer teams a crucial glimpse into their future cores and potential game-changers for the upcoming season.
NBA Summer League is a small sample size of what the league’s youngest stars look like. Most of the time, it’s a chance to hype up the recent draft picks. The Las Vegas Summer League tournament tipped off Thursday night and there were quite a few top performers. Most of these players are rookies, but a couple of the stars from Thursday night were first- or second-year players as well. Here’s a look at the top performers from Thursday night and names you might need to know ahead of the 2026-27 season.
AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards
All the hype was around the top two picks facing off in the primetime game between the Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz. Dybantsa got the edge over Darryn Peterson, scoring 27 points in his NBA Summer League debut in Vegas. It wasn’t the most efficient game of his career, as he shot just 39 percent from the field and 0-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc. He added seven rebounds and, with it, proved why he was the No. 1 pick last month.
Based on Dybantsa’s Vegas debut, it will be very interesting to see him with Trae Young and Anthony Davis. I’m not going to say the Wizards are a lock to turn things around, but Dybantsa is proving he might be the missing piece for a Wizards resurrection.
Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz
Speaking of Darryn Peterson, of course he made this list as well after having a big Vegas debut. He scored 24 points but, like Dybantsa, was inefficient, shooting 6-for-18 from the field. Peterson flexed his skills in Salt Lake City summer league games, and that carried over to Vegas. Top players don’t usually play deep into summer league, but we got a taste of what two prime candidates for rookie of the year this upcoming season look like.
A new core in Utah that features Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen could be lethal. We’ll have to wait and see what they look like together, but Peterson is passing the eye test so far.
Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings
What more needs to be said about Darius Acuff Jr. this summer? He shined at the California Classic summer league games and carried that to Vegas. He scored 19 points and had seven assists against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night. It’s no surprise to see Acuff continue to shine after how his summer league games started. That said, he has to be a better shooter; shooting 30 percent with 20 shots isn’t going to cut it.
Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors
Yaxel Lendeborg turned heads during the California Classic summer league games and now the rest of the summer league fans can see just how good he is. Consistency is key, which he’s showing already isn’t going to be an issue. He scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks. He also had six assists. Lendeborg’s ability to not just create for himself but also for the rest of his team will go a long way with the Warriors.
Morez Johnson Jr., Dallas Mavericks
It’s something about these Michigan players. Lendeborg has turned out to be a stud so far, and after watching Morez Johnson Jr. in Dallas, it’s easy to see why the Wolverines were national champions. Johnson had 27 points and eight rebounds in the Mavs’ 10-point loss to Golden State. He also had two blocks. The Mavericks need a reliable interior presence to pair with Kyrie Irving’s return and Cooper Flagg’s uncapped potential. Johnson looks every bit like the final piece to this new core in Dallas.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that recently hired Dallas coach Dusty May went back to his roots to find a budding star. May coached Johnson last season, and now he gets to further aid his development in the NBA. It just might be the perfect match for a Mavericks team desperate for playoff success.
Tarris Reed Jr., San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs landed a solid player in Tarris Reed Jr. and his Vegas Summer League debut proved just that. He recorded a double-double, with 14 points and 10 rebounds. This is the type of performance that will help him work his way into the lineup in San Antonio. One of their biggest problems is not having production in the frontcourt when Victor Wembanyama wasn’t on the court. If Vegas is a prelude to Reed’s rookie season, he’s set for a big role and potentially a big season in 2026.
Johni Broome, Philadelphia 76ers
Johni Broome played in just 11 games his rookie season last year. The best way for him to crack into the lineup in Philly is to have games like he did on Thursday. He scored 19 points and recorded 13 rebounds. It shouldn’t be hard for him to break into the lineup, but consistency will be the most important factor. Summer league breakout performances don’t really tell the full picture, with a lot of the teams using G-League and two-way contract players. Broome’s biggest critique is that he’s not an elite scorer. This summer is his chance to prove he can score and become a dominant interior presence next season.
Liam McNeely, Charlotte Hornets
The sharpshooter from UConn is back to his sharpshooting way. Of course, Liam McNeely was a deadeye his rookie year, shooting 40 percent from 3-point range, but it was a small sample size. Thursday, he lit it up, shooting 7-of-8 from deep and finishing with 28 points. Again, Summer League is just a sample size of what it takes to be the core of an NBA roster. But McNeely showing off his shooting ability again is exactly why this performance might not be a one-off.
The Hornets need someone to step up now that LaMelo Ball is gone. The new core of Brandon Miller, Kon Kneuppel and Naz Reid looks good on paper. Every core needs a reliable bench player and McNeely is proving he can be that with more development.
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