2026 NBA summer league: First impressions of the rookie class
2026 summer league is in full swing! Our NBA insiders break down first impressions of top rookie debuts.
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LAS VEGAS -- The 2026 NBA draft class hit the floor in Las Vegas last week after summer league commenced in California and Salt Lake City earlier this month.
The biggest matchup last week featured No. 1 and No. 2 picks AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, as the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz debuted their top draft picks.
However, other new faces made big impressions, including Chicago Bulls' No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson, who scored 35 points in his summer league debut Friday night, the second most in a Las Vegas debut since the event began in 2004.
With the 2026-27 NBA regular season on the horizon and teams preparing to premiere an impressive rookie class, here's who caught the eyes of ESPN insiders Ohm Youngmisuk, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Anthony Slater and Ben Golliver. Plus, what fantasy projections to keep your eyes on from ESPN's Andre Snellings.
Top rookies' first impressions
AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards
It didn't take long for Dybantsa to show off his scoring prowess and versatility. His first professional basket came against No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz last Thursday as he drove left and scored on a reverse layup in traffic with his right hand. His first highlight impressed Wizards officials as he drove past two Jazz defenders, had the ball knocked out of his hand but then collected it for a two-handed dunk over a Jazz defender.
And in his debut, Dybantsa wanted to show off something he's not as known for -- defense. Ever since Dybantsa was taken No. 1, Washington brass emphasized defense to the 6-foot-9 wing, even picking up opponents full court.
In a 92-88 Wizards win over the Jazz, Dybantsa had 27 points and seven rebounds. But the numbers the Wizards were eyeing were Dybantsa's two steals and one blocked shot.
It was easy to see why the Wizards were harping on defense. Dybantsa's seven-foot wingspan caught eyes when he got down into his defensive stance.
However, the Jazz's No. 2 pick Peterson finished with 24 points but just 2-for-7 shooting from behind the arc -- something that caught Washington owner Ted Leonsis' eye.
"Do they play defense? That's the one thing that's really got my attention," Leonsis told ESPN on Thursday. "They're playing. They don't want Peterson to go off [and] score. They're playing individually. That wasn't our forte the last three years."
In his second game, against Sacramento on Sunday, Dybantsa had 23 points but again struggled from 3, shooting 1-for-6. However, he has shown flashes of his versatility and a knack for scoring, and has impressed with his 7-foot wingspan. He had three steals, two blocks and even guarded 7-foot-1 center Maxime Raynaud on Sunday. -- Youngmisuk
Peterson starred in his first two summer league games in Salt Lake City, scoring 26.5 points on 52.8% (43.8% from 3), with 7.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
His debut in Vegas was less noteworthy. He scored 24 points on 6-of-18 shooting (2-of-7 from 3) and not only coughed up eight turnovers -- an uptick from the 5 per game he had in Utah -- but also committed nine fouls (one shy of being disqualified).
"Teams are going to come after Darryn," Jazz summer league coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "He's going to be the first, second, and third guy on the scout."
Despite the uneven performance, Peterson relished having the ball back in his hands, something he said didn't happen enough in his lone season at the University of Kansas.
"I'm back having fun," Peterson said. "I wasn't really experiencing it that much at Kansas. I was off [the ball] a ton. So just, I feel like myself again."
He's already earning praise, even with the growing pains.
"Peterson has the most polished offensive perimeter package of any guard over the last 10 draft seasons," a Western Conference team scout told ESPN. "He and Anthony Edwards have a chance to set the NBA standard by which guards are judged by." -- McMenamin
Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies
Boozer already very much looks the part of an NBA player with the body and size that towered over his peers during his first action in Las Vegas. His skills, shooting and strength are already advantages that made it easy to see why he had, perhaps, the highest floor of any of the top prospects. And getting to play a few games at Salt Lake City summer league helped him prepare to be more comfortable in his first Vegas appearance.
He had success matching up directly against fellow top rookie, Caleb Wilson, on both ends of the floor in their debut on Friday. He racked up 23 points, six rebounds and had four assists in 27 minutes in the Grizzlies' 97-96 win over the Bulls. -- Collier
His first professional game was well worth the wait.
With 35 points in his summer league debut, Wilson showcased all of the skills that made him a top prospect with eye-popping athleticism at the rim, which included three blocks, impressive isolation scoring and contributions up and down the floor with six rebounds and two steals.
Wilson also shot 12-of-21 from the floor and 7-of-11 from 3, taking the record for most points from a rookie in a Las Vegas summer league debut. Wilson also showed off an improved jump shot, with seven 3-pointers that matched his made 3's from his entire college career.
The Bulls have long been looking for some sign of hope or direction for a rudderless franchise and with one game Wilson affirmed that that direction has arrived. -- Collier
"I'd definitely say at the beginning, just a little nervous," the No. 5 pick told ESPN. "But I think once I was out there and playing, it kind of just felt normal. Probably was just thinking about it too much instead of just going out there and just how I used to do: just don't think and just play. And I think that's going to be the biggest focus for me next game is just not think about it too much, not worry about mistakes or anything. Just go out and play."
Wagler didn't shoot as well as he would have liked in the Clippers' 91-85 loss to Sacramento but spent time afterward working on improving with his coaches. With the Clippers fully expecting the Kawhi Leonard trade to still go through with the Toronto Raptors after being put on pause until the NBA investigation is complete, Wagler should see plenty of opportunity to improve this season.
"I don't think I need to show people [what I can do]. I think I've already shown that before, but I think the biggest thing is learning and getting better."
Wagler enjoyed a better performance against the Jazz on Sunday, leading the Clippers with 23 points and four assists in a 104-82 win. -- Youngmisuk
Brayden Burries, Milwaukee Bucks
Burries struggled to handle Miami's full-court pressure at times during his first summer league game and will likely have a bit of a learning curve to begin his pro career. But the Bucks have raved about both his IQ as a player and his point-of-attack defense, which has been a weakness in Milwaukee ever since the team traded Jrue Holiday.
Milwaukee should have the luxury of being able to ease Burries into his pro career with Tyler Herro ahead of him on the depth chart. -- Collier
Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors
Lendeborg sprained his ankle and suffered a bone bruise in his knee during Michigan's run to the title, keeping him off the court for more than a month and slowing his predraft work. As a result, he has looked winded at times this past week and said he isn't in his best physical shape. That has appeared to impact his defensive energy and focus, but the overall results, particularly offensively, have been outstanding.
Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings
Of all the rookies, Acuff may be stepping into the most immediate high-usage role.
It's clear that general manager Scott Perry and the Kings front office are clearing the deck, slowly flushing out the veterans and turning the keys of the franchise over to Acuff, who should be expected to start at point guard on opening night.
In his summer league debut against the Brooklyn Nets, Acuff wasn't bashful, chucking up 29 shots in 24 minutes. Afterward he was self-critical about the need to better get his teammates involved and he has been more effective and pass-friendly since. But it's clear that the Kings are ready to let Acuff grow through the mistakes and grab immediate control of the offense. This week has been an introduction to Sacramento's new reality. -- Slater
The 6-5, 175-pound rookie out of Baylor looked completely comfortable with the ball in his hands as the No. 1 scoring option during the California Classic and the Laker's opener in Vegas. He has shown flashes of his shooting ability (nine 3s in his first two games in San Francisco) and his explosive vertical (three dunks in the opener in Vegas). But Lakers summer league coach Ty Abbott acknowledged that as great as Carr has looked, the next step will be finding ways to affect the game when the ball is not in his hands, especially with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves at the helm.
"In this setting, you want to give [Carr] an opportunity to play confident and kind of play free, but at the same time you put him in situations that he's going to be in when he's with the Lakers and he's coming off of the bench or playing spot minutes," Abbott said.
"Understand that this is a time for confidence and building that confidence and trying to get some momentum going in the training camp for them. [But] it's going to be a little bit different when you get there." -- McMenamin
Golliver: Other notable performances
An undrafted player who caught my eye was ___.
Two players garnered almost all the attention for the Lakers on the way into summer league: 2026 first-round pick Cameron Carr and 2025 second-round pick Adou Thiero. But Arthur Kaluma stole the show Saturday by scoring a game-high 34 points in the Lakers' 91-70 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Kaluma, 24, caught on with the Lakers' G League affiliate after going undrafted in 2025, and he stepped up against the Mavericks with Carr sitting out due to a thumb injury. The 6-7 forward hit six 3-pointers with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and several members of the team's coaching staff sitting courtside. Could a strong showing in Las Vegas help Kaluma land a two-way contract?
Impressive rookie outside the lottery
Breaking News from Shams Charania
The Atlanta Hawks will have some decisions to make as they sort through their frontcourt rotation for the regular season, but Zuby Ejiofor has made a solid first impression in Las Vegas after showing substantial improvement during his four-year college career.
Ejiofor, 22, posted 13 points, six rebounds and was a game-high plus-19 in an 83-76 victory over the Nets on Saturday. The 6-9 forward, who was selected 23rd overall, more than held his own against a Brooklyn starting lineup that featured three 2025 first-round picks.
Who is an under-the-radar ROY pick?
Here's a big-picture takeaway from summer league's first weekend: The 2027 Rookie of the Year race is shaping up to have the deepest field in recent memory, but the top of the lottery is so loaded that under-the-radar players need not apply.
It's always risky making such bold proclamations in mid-July, but Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, Wilson and Acuff all appear to have the skill level and polish needed to make an instant impact as rookies on teams that will be leaning heavily on them right away. While Rookie of the Year is usually a two-player race at best, fierce battles among as many as five candidates should be raging throughout next season.
Snellings: Notable fantasy standouts
AJ Dybantsa | SF/PF | Washington Wizards
Dybantsa projects as a 20 PPG scorer from opening tip, and his early action in Las Vegas supported those projections. He dropped 27 points in his Vegas summer league debut, primarily with shots he created off the dribble going to the rim. Dybantsa's combination of size, ballhandling ability and scoring mentality should produce plenty of points and free throw opportunities, making him a top-70 fantasy prospect in both points and category leagues.
Darryn Peterson | SG/PG | Utah Jazz
Peterson is another rookie projected to be a volume scorer and is showing that this summer. Peterson dropped 24 points in his Vegas summer league debut after notching 28 and 25 in his two Utah summer league performances. Peterson's fantasy value further hinges on his ability to distribute the ball. He had only two and three assists in two of his games, but did drop 12 assists in his second game in Utah. He is currently top-85 in fantasy rankings in both points and category leagues based on a projected 2.8 APG, but if he can be a 5-plus APG player that ranking could rise into the top 60.
Cameron Boozer | PF | Memphis Grizzlies
Boozer is the franchise centerpiece for the Grizzlies already, and his initial projections have him flirting with becoming a 20-point, 10-rebound player as a rookie. In his first three summer league games, he has been a high-efficiency plus-scorer, but also an all-around producer with 5.7 RPG and 4.0 APG. If his rebounds tick upward toward his projected 8-9 RPG, Boozer would settle in as a top-50 fantasy prospect as a rookie in both scoring formats.
Caleb Wilson |SF/PF | Chicago Bulls
Coming out of the draft, Wilson was my One Bet to Make for 2026 Rookie of the Year. His electrifying debut at the Vegas summer league has supported the notion that he has as high a ceiling as any rookie in his class. The 35 points he scored were eye-catching, but he unveiled a new 3-point shooting ability with seven made 3s, including multiple off the dribble. Wilson also flexed his defensive prowess with three blocked shots and two steals, and if he continues knocking down from beyond the arc and improves his free throw percentage (2-of-6 in his debut), he has upside to outperform his current top 60 fantasy projections in both points and category leagues.
Darius Acuff | PG | Sacramento Kings
Acuff looks to be the primary offense producer for the Kings. This likely means volume scoring and assists, but with low-efficiency scoring and elevated turnovers. Acuff showed these tendencies in his Vegas summer league debut with 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting and seven assists with four turnovers. The volume upside, including from downtown, has Acuff as a top-60 fantasy prospect in both scoring formats.
