The 2026 NBA Summer League gives UCF fans a little something to watch while the rest of the college sports calendar sits in the summer heat.
Three former Knights are in the mix out west, with Taylor Hendricks, Themus Fulks and Riley Kugel all set to take part in offseason action that features 30 teams building out rosters with rookies, G-League players and undrafted free agents.
Hendricks, UCF’s first-ever NBA Draft lottery pick, is with the Memphis Grizzlies after being traded from the Utah Jazz in February. Memphis is playing in both the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas events, and its first stop in Salt Lake City already gave Hendricks a strong showing. In the Grizzlies’ 111-74 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, he played just under 12 minutes and finished with 15 points on 5-6 shooting, four rebounds, six assists and a steal.
That was only the start of the summer for Hendricks, who gets another notable test on Monday night when Memphis faces the host Utah Jazz in its second game of the Salt Lake City Summer League. He also started on July 4 alongside forward Cameron Boozer, the third overall pick in the 2026 draft after winning both the Naismith Award and the AP Player of the Year Award. With Jerami Grant and Kris Murray also arriving from the Ja Morant trade, Memphis suddenly has a crowded frontcourt.
For Hendricks, that makes this stretch more than just a tune-up. He started 11 of the 26 games he played for the Grizzlies after the trade and averaged 24.1 minutes per game.
He still has one more season left on his rookie contract, so his spot is not exactly hanging by a thread. But the summer roster gives Memphis a clear look at how he fits with the team’s new additions and where he stands in the rotation picture moving forward.
Fulks and Kugel are in a different spot entirely. The former Knights guards signed with the Los Angeles Clippers for Las Vegas Summer League after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, and their deals only run through the summer. That means every game matters a little more.
The Clippers will only play in Las Vegas, where they’ll also see the Utah Jazz. Once every team there has played four games, the top four move on to a tournament to decide the league champion. The rest still get one more game, a consolation matchup scheduled for July 17 through July 19.
For Fulks, the challenge is to show he can score and run the show at the same time. He averaged 14 points per game this past season while breaking UCF’s single-season assist record.
Kugel’s path is different, built around his two-way impact. He shot 38.7% from three and collected more than 30 steals for the Knights this past season, and now he has to prove that combination travels well against NBA-level competition.
The summer league won’t hand out guarantees, but it can open doors. That’s the lane Fulks and Kugel are trying to get into. And for Hendricks, it’s a chance to reinforce his place with a franchise that’s still sorting out its future pieces.
In Other News...
UCF Fans Are Already Going To Debate EAs New Big 12 Ratings
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The broader rating sheet gives UCF a respectable but hardly untouchable profile, with the offense and defense both drawing plenty of attention from fans who will compare every digit to what they expect on Saturdays. The individual rankings only sharpen that debate, especially with the top names on each side of the ball and a transfer class that figures to be part of the conversation long before the game even hits shelves. [Read more 🡒]
Braeden Marshalls Lake Mary Return Is A Proud Moment For UCF
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Marshall also used the moment to talk about the leadership role he has grown into with the Knights, where his voice matters as much as his play. His bond with cornerbacks coach David Overstreet has helped shape that approach, and the camp underscored why those relationships matter now, especially for a senior trying to set the tone while still carrying the pride of where he came from. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Just Got A Big 12 Outlook Knights Fans Wont Ignore
UCF is heading into the Big 12 with the kind of outsider label that can either fade quickly or turn into fuel, and Matthew Glenesks preseason ranking reflects the skepticism. The Knights landed at No. 11 in his conference power rankings, but there is still enough talent on the roster to make them a team worth watching rather than dismissing, especially with transfer quarterback Alonza Barnett III bringing a track record that suggests he can change the feel of an offense when he is right.
Barnett is part of a group that gives UCF some real upside, with tight end Dylan Wade and defensive back Jayden Bellamy among the players expected to matter most. Wades presence gives the passing game a reliable target, while Bellamy should help anchor the defense, and that blend is why the Knights have been mentioned as a dark horse in a league where every edge matters. The question now is whether that potential shows up soon enough to make the ranking look conservative instead of accurate. [Read more 🡒]