Less than a month after the Knicks ended a 53-year title drought, the NBA is already back on the calendar - at least in Summer League form. The games in Las Vegas won’t count in the standings, but they’ll give fans their first real look at the league’s newest names, the second-year guys trying to level up, and a few veterans and fringe players chasing a roster spot.
That’s the whole appeal of the 11-day event. It’s early, it’s messy, and it’s exactly where the overreactions begin.
The 2026 rookie class arrives just two weeks after the draft, which means the conversation around picks like AJ Dybantsa and Keaton Wagler starts immediately. The winning team has also received championship rings every year since 2022, so there’s a little extra edge baked into the competition now.
Here are the five matchups that stand out most in Las Vegas.
The offseason’s biggest trade already has a Summer League stage. Milwaukee and Miami meet in a game that ties directly to the deal that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat.
The Bucks used the pick they got in that trade to select Nate Ament at No. 13, then added Brayden Burries at No. 10 to give themselves two lottery selections. Kasparas Jakučionis is also on Milwaukee’s Summer League roster after being Miami’s first-round pick last year and coming over in the Antetokounmpo deal.
On the other side, Heat rookie Ryan Conwell is one of the more interesting names to watch.
Atlanta and Brooklyn bring a loaded guard-heavy matchup to the floor. The Hawks took Kingston Flemings at No. 10 and also added Zuby Ejiofor at No. 23, then grabbed Henri Veesaar at No. 52 after a long wait.
Brooklyn countered with Mikel Brown Jr. at No. 10 and has four first-round picks from last year on its Summer League roster: Egor Dёmin, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell and Danny Wolf. There’s plenty of intrigue in how much run the second-year players get, but the rookie talent alone makes this one worth circling.
Michigan’s national championship run sent three players into the lottery, and two of them will face off in Las Vegas. Morez Johnson Jr. went ninth to Dallas and joined Dusty May, now the Mavericks’ head coach.
Aday Mara landed with Oklahoma City at No. 11, and Yaxel Lendeborg went one pick later to Golden State. Johnson and the Mavericks open against Lendeborg and the Warriors, but the later matchup between Lendeborg and Mara is the one that really jumps off the page.
The Thunder also added Bennett Stirtz at No. 16, giving them another prospect with serious shooting ability.
The second night in Las Vegas brings one of the marquee games of the whole event: No. 3 against No. 4.
Memphis took Duke’s Cameron Boozer third, and Chicago followed by selecting North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson one pick later. The Bulls also added Dailyn Swain at No. 15, giving new head coach Tiago Splitter two more pieces for the young core.
Chicago’s roster includes Noa Essengue as well, after last year’s No. 12 pick saw his rookie season end because of shoulder surgery. Memphis has its own depth, with first-round pick Karim López and second-year players Cedric Coward and Walter Clayton Jr. on the roster too.
Still, the headliner is obvious. Washington’s AJ Dybantsa and second pick Darryn Peterson are the names everyone will want to see.
Dybantsa, the high-flying wing from BYU, was at the center of the debate over who Washington should take at No. 1.
Peterson already got a taste of Summer League action in Salt Lake City and flashed the kind of scoring upside that could make him one of the best scorers in the NBA. He dropped 25 points against the Grizzlies in his second Summer League game, and the line told the story: 8-15 FG, 3-9 3PT, 3-3 FTs, 12 AST, 2 REBS, 2 STL, 1 TTM.
That’s the matchup that really defines this Summer League slate. Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer are going to be linked for a long time, but Las Vegas gives us the first real chance to watch the debate play out in front of us.
Once their careers get rolling, these meetings will be rare. For now, Summer League is where the conversation starts.
In Other News...
Tre Johnson Just Gave Wizards Fans The Sign They Needed
The Wizards Summer League opener against Utah came with plenty of draft-night buzz, thanks to the presence of top names like AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. But the most encouraging development for Washington was Tre Johnson, the second-year guard who looked far more comfortable and assertive than he did during a disappointing rookie campaign.
Johnsons night stood out because it felt like more than just a hot start. He scored 26 points and showed the kind of offensive polish Washington has been waiting to see, giving the team a reason to believe his second season could look very different from his first. For a roster still searching for young building blocks, that kind of progress matters. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Davis Just Sent Wizards Fans A New Reason To Wonder
Anthony Davis trip to Las Vegas for Summer League gave Wizards fans something to chew on beyond the usual offseason noise. He was there supporting Washington, and he was spotted around teammates and other veterans, a small but notable show of presence at a time when every public appearance gets read like a clue.
The timing matters because Davis future has been the subject of plenty of chatter, even as extension conversations are reportedly in motion. Washington has reason to feel encouraged by the attention he paid to the team in Las Vegas, but until anything is signed, the uncertainty around his status will keep hanging over the Wizards summer. [Read more 🡒]
AJ Dybantsas Wizards Debut Confirmed He Looks Ready Right Now
AJ Dybantsas first game in a Wizards uniform gave the franchise exactly the kind of jolt it hoped for from a top rookie. He put up 27 points, seven rebounds and two assists on 7-for-18 shooting, and the box score only told part of the story. His length and burst showed up on both ends, with two steals and a block adding to a debut that looked more like a player trying to announce himself than one easing into the league.
What stood out most was how often he created obvious momentum swings, including a few highlight-level plays that had the building reacting quickly. For Washington, the bigger takeaway is less about one strong night and more about what it hinted at going forward: if this is the baseline, Dybantsa may already be the kind of rookie who changes the conversation around the team before the season gets very far. [Read more 🡒]