Yaxel Lendeborg shone in his Summer League debut, going for 19 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting.
2026 Summer League action tipped off at the California Classic and Salt Lake City with a total of 18 games from July 3-7.
The California Classic expanded this year as the Golden State Warriors featured two teams (Gold and Blue) as well as adding more teams in Sacramento.
- Participating teams in San Francisco: Golden State Warriors (Gold), Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers.
- Participating teams in Sacramento: Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors (Blue).
- Participating teams in Salt Lake City: Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks.
From lottery picks performing to surprising standouts, here are four takeaways from the start of Summer League action.
1. Darryn Peterson leads youth movement in Utah
The Utah Jazz are on the rise with Darryn Peterson leading the young, talented group.
Peterson demonstrated why he was the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s Draft class. His dynamic guard play and shot-making ability shone through as the Jazz now have a youth movement consisting of Keyonte George, Peterson, Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier and more to complement All-Stars Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.
In a battle between the top picks, Peterson outdueled Cameron Boozer with a 25-point, 12-assist performance.
With back-to-back years drafting top 5 picks in Peterson and Bailey, look for the Jazz to make some noise in the Western Conference.
2. Yaxel Lendeborg & Will Richard preview Warriors’ young core
The Golden State Warriors are built on championship DNA, so that’s what they’ve looked for in back-to-back drafts. Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) and Will Richard (Florida) carried over their winning traits from college to the NBA.
Heading into the Draft, the Warriors found an upgrade at the wing position with size and two-way play from Lendeborg. Lendeborg started his four-year collegiate career at the JUCO levels and became a key piece in Michigan’s championship run.
He proved that those characteristics could translate to the NBA. His two-way play was notable as he continued to stretch the floor with his shooting and made winning plays on defense.
Yaxel Lendeborg was BALLING OUT in the first half 😮💨
16 PTS
4-4 3PM
5-5 FGMWatch the California Classic on Prime, ESPNU, and NBA TV. pic.twitter.com/Kx3E8Pskl5
— NBA (@NBA) July 4, 2026
Richard prepared for his sophomore season after an impactful rookie campaign that saw him appearing in 69 games. He averaged 6.4 ppg and had memorable moments, including a 30-point outing back on Nov. 5, 2025.
Richard showed his development with improved handles, shot-making and defense.
As Moses Moody is expected to make a full recovery from his knee injury, Richard will be in the rotation as the backup shooting guard. Both he and Lendeborg will look to make immediate impacts with the Warriors’ win-now timeline.
3. Cameron Boozer shows potential as Grizzlies rebuild
The Memphis Grizzlies signaled a new era as they officially traded two-time All-Star Ja Morant and selected Cameron Boozer – the son of NBA veteran Carlos Boozer – with the No. 3 overall pick.
Boozer displayed everything from his passing to three-level scoring in Summer League action. The Grizzlies featured him as the main offensive hub, operating out of his gravity around the paint which proved to be fruitful in their campaign.
With the Grizzlies drafting Zach Edey back in 2024, Boozer will likely slide to the power forward position. The Grizzlies look to implement both bigs as their franchise cornerstones.
Cameron Boozer swishes the smooth stepback jumper to close out his Salt Lake City Summer League debut 😮💨
The No. 3 overall pick finishes his first appearance with 15 PTS (7-11 FGM), 4 REB and 4 AST in Memphis’ W! pic.twitter.com/E5PQzzTtry
— NBA (@NBA) July 4, 2026
4. Lakers get a steal with Cameron Carr
On Draft night, the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks swapped picks, with the Lakers taking Cameron Carr. Multiple mock drafts projected Carr to be picked as high as in the lottery, but the sophomore guard from Baylor slid in the Draft to the No. 24 spot.
Carr’s quick release and deep range proved that he could be the X-factor on the Lakers, a team that already features Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Carr wasn’t shy about getting his shots up during Summer League action. As a 3-and-D wing, Carr can create spacing next to Dončić with his shooting ability.
