Tre Johnson wasted no time making his presence felt in Las Vegas, and that’s exactly why there’s no reason to sound the alarm over Dailyn Swain yet.
The former Texas guard turned in the kind of Summer League opener that reminds everyone he already has a season of NBA basketball behind him. Johnson scored 26 points in the Washington Wizards’ 92-88 win over the Utah Jazz, looking far more settled than he did as a rookie before he found his rhythm late last season.
Swain, meanwhile, had a rougher first night with the Chicago Bulls. The former Longhorn managed just 7 points in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and he was clearly outpaced by Chicago rookie Caleb Wilson, who poured in a record-setting 35 points.
Still, one Summer League game is one Summer League game. Swain also chipped in four rebounds and three assists, and he still has several chances left before the offseason run wraps up. The scoring line wasn’t what anyone wanted to see, but it’s far too early to treat it like a warning sign.
Johnson’s rookie year gave him a real foundation to build on. He averaged 12.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists, modest numbers on paper, but his 26-point start in Vegas suggests a much bigger season could be coming.
Swain entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, one year after Johnson went in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft to Washington. The two former Texas standouts are now getting their first real Summer League run as pros, and their opening games showed two very different snapshots.
Johnson wasn’t the only Longhorn to light it up. Arthur Kaluma, now in his second year with the Los Angeles Lakers, also joined the 26-point club, and the two are tied for the second-most points in the Vegas Summer League, behind only Wilson.
There were other Texas connections scattered across the slate, too. Max Abmas played nearly 14 minutes for the Utah Jazz but couldn’t get anything going offensively, finishing with five assists and one rebound while going scoreless.
And in Portland’s matchup with the Phoenix Suns, Tramon Mark did not play, while former Texas forward Jayson Kent logged nearly 28 minutes for the Trail Blazers and posted nine points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block.
In Other News...
Former Texas Assistant Just Took An Audacious Shot At The Longhorns
Brennan Marions latest turn of phrase is the kind that tends to echo back to Austin. Now Colorados offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Marion spent one season on the Texas staff, and he recently weighed in on the Longhorns while discussing the Buffaloes offensive line, putting his old stop directly in the crosshairs of a comparison that was bound to get noticed.
The comment lands with extra weight because Colorado has not exactly settled into the Big 12 with ease, and Marions own rsum at the Power Four level is still relatively thin. Even so, he has been willing to speak boldly about a unit that has drawn praise inside the program, leaving Texas fans with one more reason to file away the remark and wonder how it will age once the season starts to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Have Found Another Long Term Answer Up Front
Texas added another important piece to its future in the trenches with the commitment of Brian Swanson, a highly regarded interior offensive lineman in the 2027 class. For a program that has made recruiting front-line talent a priority, this is the kind of addition that keeps the Longhorns class sitting among the nations best and reinforces the idea that the offensive line remains a major focus for what comes next.
Swanson brings the sort of size, strength and flexibility Texas covets up front, and his ability to fit in multiple spots only adds to the appeal. The Longhorns have been building toward long-term depth on the line, and landing a player like Swanson gives them another promising answer before the real roster questions even arrive. [Read more 🡒]
One Texas Freshman Could Change The Longhorns Defense Much Sooner Than Expected
Texas is already looking ahead to 2026 with the kind of roster that can make patience a luxury, and the linebacker room may be one of the first places where the future starts pressing into the present. The Longhorns have a star-filled group taking shape, but the arrival of a five-star freshman in the class has given the defense a different kind of buzz, especially with the unit being reshuffled under Steve Sarkisian.
The competition for snaps is real, with veterans and transfers in the mix and little reason to hand anything away. Still, the freshmans pedigree and the way Texas is building this defense make it easy to imagine a path opening sooner than expected, the sort of early role that can change how quickly a young player becomes part of the programs identity. [Read more 🡒]