The Utah Jazz are back in action Monday night for their second game of the SLC Summer League, and the matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies brings a handful of names worth tracking from the opening tip. Utah is coming off a wild win over the Atlanta Hawks, and the spotlight only gets brighter from here.
At the center of it all is Darryn Peterson, who wasted no time living up to the hype in his first game in a Jazz uniform. The No. 2 overall pick dropped 28 points in 27 minutes against Atlanta, adding five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in a debut that turned heads right away.
The #2 overall pick Darryn Peterson SHOWED OUT in his Salt Lake City Summer League debut!🎶 28 PTS (game-high)🎶 5 REB🎶 2 BLK🎶 4 3PM@utahjazz win in overtime over the Hawks! pic.twitter.com/unIAEC5aDy
Peterson should have the crowd behind him again on Monday, and if he comes out firing the way he did in his first outing, Utah may not need to see much more from him in summer league before moving on.
Cody Williams also made a strong first impression. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds, a steal, a block, and two emphatic dunks in the win over Atlanta, showing the kind of confidence and poise the Jazz have been trying to draw out of him.
CODY. WILLIAMS.Another big-time jam... this time in OT 😳17 points in Utah's win over Atlanta! pic.twitter.com/ItTE6GBurL
Monday gives Williams another chance to build on that start. If he keeps producing as a steady two-way presence, it would be a promising sign heading into his third-year pro season.
One of Utah’s two-way signees, John Tonje, was the only one of the three to see the floor against the Hawks, and he held his own in 26 minutes. He scored seven points on 3-for-7 shooting and 1-for-5 from three, while also adding three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
If Ace Bailey’s injury status opens the door a little more, Tonje could get a better shot to make his mark on the offensive end. That would give him a chance to flash the scoring touch he showed in the second half of last regular season and possibly emerge as the third scoring option behind Peterson and Williams.
Memphis brings its own must-watch names, starting with Cameron Boozer. The No. 3 overall pick opened his summer league with 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting against the OKC Thunder, along with four rebounds and four assists.
15 points 4 rebounds4 assists 7-11 from the floor Memphis W@CameronBoozer12, the No. 3 overall pick, played his first game with the @memgrizz this weekend at Salt Lake City Summer League 💪 pic.twitter.com/BZB4if5j71
Boozer could have a little extra edge against Utah after the Jazz passed on him with the second pick, though Peterson’s debut probably left the Jazz feeling pretty good about how things played out.
Another former Jazz player worth watching is Taylor Hendricks, who was the most experienced name on the list and still made a quick impact against the Thunder. In just 12 minutes, he scored 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting, while also grabbing four rebounds, dishing three assists, and recording a steal.
10 first quarter points for Taylor Hendricks pic.twitter.com/PWgOr8bkx2
Like Boozer, Hendricks could be in line for a big night against Utah, though for a different reason. He started his summer league run so well that another strong performance Monday wouldn’t be a surprise.
In Other News...
Jazz Just Lost The One Break They Needed In Donovan Mitchell Trade
Utahs long view in the Donovan Mitchell trade always depended on patience, and for a while there was at least a plausible path to a bigger payoff if Clevelands timeline shifted. The Jazz moved Mitchell to the Cavaliers with an eye on draft assets that could gain value if the relationship between star and team did not last, which is why every hint about his future mattered so much in Salt Lake City.
Now Mitchell has agreed to stay in Cleveland, closing off the kind of opening Utah had quietly hoped for. Brian Windhorst noted the Jazz had reason to believe he might not be there for the long haul, but the extension changes the math on those picks and leaves Utah waiting on protections and complicated future selections to sort out the rest of the return. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Just Made His Utah Exit Feel Completely Final
Walker Kesslers time in Utah is officially over, and the timing makes the separation feel even more complete. Once the free agency moratorium ended, the Jazz finalized a trade that closes the book on a four-year run in which Kessler went from promising young big to one of the more recognizable players to come through the roster in recent seasons.
Kessler marked the moment with a public goodbye on social media, thanking the organization, his teammates, coaches and fans for the stretch he spent in Salt Lake City. For Utah, it is another reminder of how quickly a players arc can change once contract talks and roster decisions start to harden, and for Kessler it leaves behind a clear legacy even as the next chapter begins elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
The Lakers Starting Five Suddenly Feels Nothing Like The Old Era
The Lakers offseason overhaul has made their projected starting five look far removed from the LeBron James era, with the roster now built around a very different mix of names and roles. The latest look at that group also comes with a hobby angle, as card values for players like Luka Doni, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Walker Kessler are being tracked closely by collectors who see the lineup change as a new market story as much as a basketball one.
For Utah fans, Kesslers place in that conversation is the most interesting subplot, because his value has followed him into a bigger spotlight after a major change this offseason. His card market has already produced a notable sale, and the way that number stacks up against the rest of the Lakers new core says plenty about how quickly perception can shift when a player lands in a different situation. [Read more 🡒]