What Summer League Just Told Jayhawks Fans About KU's NBA Hopefuls

A group of Jayhawks showcased their skills and potential in the competitive setting of the NBA Summer League, leaving notable impressions across various teams.

The NBA Summer League wrapped up in Las Vegas on Sunday night, with the Golden State Warriors beating the Memphis Grizzlies 94-90 to claim the title. For Kansas fans, the bigger takeaway was the spread of Jayhawks across the league’s summer stage. Seven former KU players were on NBA rosters, and their results ranged from eye-catching scoring bursts to quieter stretches as the games moved from Salt Lake City and the California Classic to Las Vegas.

Darryn Peterson turned heads early with the Utah Jazz. He opened his summer league run in Salt Lake City with 28 points, then backed that up with 25 points and 12 assists against just two turnovers in his second game.

Once the action shifted to Las Vegas, he kept producing. In the opener there, Peterson posted 24 points, three rebounds and three assists in a loss to the Washington Wizards.

Overall, the Jazz went 2-3 in Las Vegas, and Peterson appeared in three games there, giving him five total between the two sites.

Across his Las Vegas minutes, Peterson averaged 20.7 points per game while shooting 30.8% from the field and 23.1% from 3. He also added 3.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in 28.2 minutes. The turnover number was high at 4.7 per contest, but the production was there throughout.

New Orleans brought together a pair of Jayhawks in Hunter Dickinson and Melvin Council Jr., and both got real run in Las Vegas. The Pelicans finished 2-3, with Dickinson appearing in the first three games.

He averaged 13.3 points in 25.5 minutes per game, hit 44.4% of his shots, and chipped in 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest. His top outing came in a win over the Charlotte Hornets, when he scored 21 points on 9-for-18 shooting and added three rebounds and three assists.

Council played in three games and logged 23.6 minutes per contest. He averaged 8.0 points on 37.6% shooting overall and 33.3% from beyond the arc, while also contributing 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Tre White had one of the strongest stretches among the Jayhawks in Las Vegas with the Miami Heat. Miami also went 2-3, and White suited up for four games.

He averaged 17.3 points, shot 43.8% from the field and 40% from 3, and added 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 29.2 minutes per game. His best night came in a win over Detroit, where he led the Heat with 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting, along with four rebounds and three assists.

Zeke Mayo’s summer with the Atlanta Hawks was more modest, but he still saw steady action. He played in four games as Atlanta went 3-2, averaging 7.3 points per game on 34.5% shooting from the field and 25% from deep. He also averaged 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals in 20.8 minutes per game.

KJ Adams made his return after the Achilles injury he suffered a year ago, beginning with Golden State in the California Classic. He played sparingly in the first two games there, then logged just over 15 minutes in the third.

In that game, he scored seven points on four shots and pulled down two rebounds. Adams did not appear in a game once the Warriors moved to Las Vegas.

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Former Jayhawks Are Leaving Vegas With One Big NBA Question

The 2026 NBA Summer League wrapped in Las Vegas with Golden State taking the title over Memphis, but for Kansas fans the more useful scoreboard was the one measuring how former Jayhawks handled their first or latest taste of pro ball. Darryn Peterson was the headliner with Utah, while Hunter Dickinson and Melvin Council Jr. got extended looks with New Orleans, and KJ Adams made his way back onto the floor after rehabbing a torn Achilles. Even Dajuan Harris Jr. found a brief opening with Minnesota, giving the Jayhawks a scattered but interesting cross-section of where their alumni stand right now.

What made the week worth watching was less the final results than the roles each player was asked to fill. Peterson arrived with the kind of attention that follows a top pick, Council turned an undrafted opportunity into real bench minutes, and Adams return offered a small but meaningful checkpoint in his recovery. For Kansas, the bigger question now is how much of this Vegas snapshot carries over once the games count for real and these former Jayhawks settle into the next stage of their NBA paths. [Read more 🡒]

Tre Lathan Just Sent A Hopeful Signal About Kansas New Defense

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Tre Lathan is one of the players offering an early reason for optimism. The linebacker, who briefly considered leaving before deciding to stay, has liked what he has seen from the newcomers around him, including Quincy Davis, Jibreel Al-Amin, Bam Crouch and TreVon McAlpine. For a defense that needs more than just bodies, the early signs from the room matter, and Lathans read on the group suggests Kansas may have found more than depth in this class. [Read more 🡒]