Former Terps are scattered across the 2026 NBA Summer League, and several familiar names are getting a fresh chance to make noise in front of NBA decision-makers.
Jahmir Young is back for a second straight summer, this time with the Miami Heat. Young spent last year with the Chicago Bulls and made the kind of splash that gets noticed, going off for 40 points in a comeback win over the Milwaukee Bucks. That showing helped set up his path with Miami, where he later landed a two-way contract.
Most of Young’s season came with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and he was one of the G League’s most productive guards. In 25 games, he averaged 26 points while shooting 47% from the field and 37.6% from three, along with 4.6 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.6 steals. That production earned him a standard contract, though the Heat declined his option this season after the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo and salary restructuring.
Young is now trying to prove himself again on a Miami roster that doesn’t have much backcourt experience beyond Tim Hardaway Jr and Davion Mitchell.
Jahmir Young SHINED tonight ✨21 PTS4 AST3 STL3 3PM8-13 FGMMiami secures the W in California Classic action! pic.twitter.com/iWPzIbqY3a
Ja’Kobi Gillespie is also in the mix after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 42nd pick in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft. Gillespie finished his NCAA career at Tennessee, but he was part of that memorable 2024-25 Maryland run with the group known as the “Crab Five,” a stretch that brought real energy back to College Park.
In San Antonio, Gillespie brings a two-way skill set that fits the backcourt mold head coach Mitch Johnson likes. His scoring is already established, and his physicality helps offset his size on defense.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie tonight:• 19 points • 6 assists • 2 steals• 5/9 3PM• 7/14 FG pic.twitter.com/lCV0u55DJ4
Solomon Washington and the Pelicans won’t take the floor until play begins in Las Vegas. Washington signed with his hometown NBA team as an undrafted free agent and will be looking to earn a two-way deal. His collegiate experience, hustle and defensive intangibles give him a real chance to make plays against top-end talent from the 2026 class.
Washington’s former Terps teammate Derik Queen will not join him in Vegas. The Pelicans are holding Queen out because he has already shown enough to be considered a key part of the franchise’s future.
“It’s surreal. Growing up in New Orleans Lousiana, you want to play for LSU, the Pelicans, the Saints.
For them to give me that call, it was emotional. Me and my mom shed a tear.
It’s an opportunity to get better"-- Solomon Washington on getting the call from the Pelicans pic.twitter.com/8PANDlJqUc
Jalen Reese is back with his hometown Wizards after a winding path through the league. He played with the Lakers in last year’s Summer League, then signed a two-way deal with the Toronto Raptors in the fall and spent the entire stint with Raptors 905 in the G League. Washington brought him in late April after injuries hit the front court, and Reese made the most of the opportunity.
In 13 games, he posted five double-doubles, including a career night with 18 points and 20 rebounds against the Utah Jazz on March 25. He now has a two-way deal in D.C. and will suit up in Vegas alongside No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa.
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Indiana Landed A Defensive Back With A Football Pedigree
A rising senior defensive back at Quince Orchard High School, Rico Jackson has become one of Marylands more interesting young prospects, with a recruiting profile that stretched well beyond the local scene before he settled on Indiana. Programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Syracuse all spent time on him, a sign of how much his combination of pedigree and upside has stood out as he heads into his final high school season.
Jackson also carries a football background that is hard to miss. He has trained with NFL receivers Stefon Diggs and Jordan Addison at the University of Maryland, and he is the son of former NFL safety Tanard Jackson, whose career included stops with the Buccaneers and Redskins and a knack for making life difficult for some of the leagues biggest quarterbacks. For Maryland fans, it is another reminder that the state keeps producing talent with national appeal, even when the final destination ends up elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Former Terp Deonte Banks Just Hit A Career Crossroads
Deonte Banks has already logged a heavy workload in the NFL, starting every game of his first two seasons and flashing enough playmaking ability to keep the conversation around him alive. For Maryland fans, the former Terps path has been easy to track: the raw talent was never in doubt, but the next step has always been about turning traits into steadier week-to-week production.
Now Banks is getting that chance under John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, two voices who put a premium on technique and discipline. That kind of coaching can be a reset point for a young corner, especially one trying to sharpen the fundamentals and tighten up the consistency that will determine how much trust he earns moving forward. [Read more 🡒]