Starting 5: AJ Dybantsa dazzles again, plus a look ahead to Monday's slate

A Peterson poster and a Dybantsa dime to start your week.

The 2026 NBA Summer League is in full swing, and the top of this year’s Draft class is putting on a show.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Sunday’s Best: AJ Dybantsa and Wizards stay hot, Keaton Wagler erupts against Darryn Peterson & Jazz

More Rooks Cook: Okorie sparks Detroit, Mitchell lifts Boston, Spurs overcome Burries

Roundup: Lendeborg helps lead Dubs, Magic win in OT, young Pels soar

Monday Matchups: Red-hot Caleb Wilson leads Bulls against Peterson’s Jazz and more

Weekend Rewind: Catch up on some of the standout performances from Vegas so far

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Eight more games tip off today in Las Vegas, including a potential showdown of top-four picks as Darryn Peterson (No. 2) leads the Jazz against Caleb Wilson (No. 4) and the Bulls (9 ET, ESPN).

1. SUNDAY’S BEST: DYBANTSA DAZZLES, WAGLER & PETERSON DUEL

On Thursday, AJ Dybantsa tied Blake Griffin’s 2009 record for the most points in a Summer League debut by a No. 1 pick (27).

On Sunday, he picked up right where he left off – while another Wizard caught fire.

Wizards 104, Kings 85: Dybantsa’s all-around game was on full display (23 pts, 7 reb, 3 stl, 2 blk), as he combined for 55 points with sophomore Will Riley (32 pts, 6 reb, 6 3s), powering Washington past Sacramento to improve to 2-0 in Vegas. | Recap

• Layered Buckets: Dybantsa wasted no time heating up, opening the Wizards’ scoring with a pull-up 3 and a smooth midrange
• By halftime, he had 17 points, capped by a tough hesi, drive and finish to put the Wizards up 15
• Contagious: Washington never looked back, as Riley exploded for 25 in the 2nd half while Dybantsa kept creating, stamping the win with a behind-the-back dime and a late dagger turnaround

New Foundation: Through two Summer League games, Dybantsa is averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks, helping Washington join six teams at 2-0 in Vegas.

Also in the desert? Trae Young and several active Wizards, who have been courtside for both games to support Dybantsa and the team’s young core.

• “It just shows that the culture is shifting in D.C.,” Dybantsa said postgame. “We have a new team, new vets that want to show love … we’re gonna be great this year.”
• Kings Shine: Maxime Raynaud led Sacramento with 20 points and 12 boards, while this year’s No. 7 pick, Darius Acuff Jr. (12 pts, 4 ast), flashed with a few highlight buckets

Speaking of highlight buckets, Darryn Peterson and Keaton Wagler delivered plenty in a duel of top-five picks.

Clippers 104, Jazz 82: Peterson (23 pts, 5 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk) opened the game with a monster poster, but Wagler (23 pts, 4 ast, 4 3s) took over with an 18-point 3rd quarter eruption, where the Clips outscored the Jazz 42-18 to pull away. | Recap

• Wagler Water: Wagler – who went 1-of-7 in his debut on Thursday – went 5-of-7 in the 3rd last night, capped by a tough stepback 3 as LA stretched a 2-point halftime lead to 26 entering the 4th
• “My teammates trusted me to have the ball in my hands, and I just showed them what I can do,” said Wagler postgame. “Second game, all the nerves are out the way … and the shots were falling.”
• DP Doin’ Work: Despite the loss, Peterson’s shot-making was on full display again, netting a string of ridiculous buckets, including this scoop-and-score through contact

2. MORE ROOKS COOK: OKORIE & MITCHELL BALL, BURRIES SHINES IN LOSS

Pistons 103, Cavaliers 94: Detroit’s Chaz Lanier (25 pts, 7-12 3pm) and Brice Williams (21 pts, 6-9 3pm) couldn’t miss, combining for 13 treys, while this year’s No. 17 overall pick, Ebuka Okorie, did it all (14 pts, 6 ast, 7 stl). | Recap

• Complementary Ball: Okorie’s 6 dimes and 7 steals were both team-highs, while Lanier and Williams combined to outscore Cleveland from beyond the arc by themselves (39-27)
• Young Cav Cooking: After dropping 20 in his Summer League debut, No. 34 overall pick Meleek Thomas turned up for a game-high 30 points and 7 dimes for Cleveland

Celtics 87, Hornets 75: Boston’s 2nd-round pick, Dillon Mitchell, was a force on both ends. He posted 24 points, 8 boards, 6 steals and 2 blocks as the C’s outpaced Liam McNeeley (20 pts, 8 reb) and the Hornets to move to 2-0. | Recap

• All Day Long: Mitchell, the No. 40 pick out of St. John’s, opened his day with a crafty euro finish and closed it with a dagger jam

Spurs 90, Bucks 80: In his second Summer League game, Milwaukee’s Brayden Burries showed why he was the No. 10 overall pick, scoring inside and out for a game-high 26 points.

But San Antonio came away with the win, with former UNC star RJ Davis (20 pts) leading five double-digit scorers. | Recap

• All Angles: Burries – a 6-foot-4 guard who led Arizona in scoring as a freshman last season – shot 4-of-6 from downtown while adding 10 points in the paint

3. ROUNDUP: LENDEBORG HELPS LIFT DUBS, MAGIC & PELS WIN

Warriors 104, Thunder 79: Golden State’s Yaxel Lendeborg continued his strong summer with 14 points, 4 dimes and 4 treys, getting the best of his former college teammate and fellow Lottery pick, Aday Mara (10 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast), as the Dubs outpaced the Thunder. | Recap

• Maize & Buckets: Lendeborg and Mara – who won a national title together at Michigan – exchanged some friendly jawing after Lendeborg buried a 3, before Mara crashed his postgame interview

Magic 112, Blazers 105 (OT): Lester Quiñones (8 reb, 4 3s) went off for 30 points, and Colin Castleton (21 pts, 7 reb) backed him up as the Magic shot 48% from 3 to erase a 15-point hole and force OT, where they sprinted away from Jayson Kent (20 pts, 8 reb) and the Blazers, 11-4. | Recap

Pelicans 81, Suns 75: Undrafted rookie Malik Dia scored a game-high 18 points, while NOLA’s No. 58 overall pick, Jaron Pierre Jr., added 16 – including a big-time jam – to power the Pels past Khaman Maluach (15 pts, 15 reb) and the Suns, improving to 2-1. | Recap

4. MONDAY MATCHUPS: TOP-4 PICKS CLASH IN STACKED SLATE

Tonight is the next chance to see electric rookie Caleb Wilson, as he potentially faces a fellow top-4 pick who’s logged the most Summer League games of that group so far.

Bulls vs. Jazz (9 ET, ESPN): On the back-end of a back-to-back, No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson and Utah would look to slow Wilson in primetime, after his head-turning debut.

• Coming In Hot: Wilson eyes an encore to his 35-point shooting barrage Friday, the highest-scoring debut in NBA Summer League history
• More Important Than Points: “We lost. That’s my goal: to come here and win,” Wilson said. “Of course it’s cool, but somebody’s gonna break [the record] one day, like they always do.”
• Top-Picks Tour: Wilson’s first three Summer League games come against the top-3 picks taken ahead of him in June: Boozer, Peterson and Dybantsa on Tuesday
• Tone-Setter: Peterson’s 25 ppg this summer helped the Jazz to two of their three wins in the Salt Lake City circuit
• “He knows the game,” Jaren Jackson Jr. said of Peterson. “Savvy, he loves the game, watches a lot of film … He’s always gonna be like that.”

Mavericks vs. Grizzlies (7 ET, ESPN): In another matchup of top-10 picks, rookie forwards Cameron Boozer (No. 3 pick) and Morez Johnson Jr. (No. 9 pick) clash.

• In His Bag: Boozer has displayed his deep arsenal so far this summer, hitting threes (6 in 3 games), making great passes (4 apg), posting up, rebounding (5.7 rpg) and more
• Two-Way Talent: Johnson Jr. has shined defensively, totaling 6 blocks and 5 steals through two games, on top of his 27-point scoring debut
• “I wanna be on a winning team,” Johnson said this weekend of his goals. “All I care about is winning. As long as we’re winning, everything else will take care of itself.”

Six more games round out Monday, featuring the Finals champs seeking their first summer win against Ebuka Okorie (17 ppg) and the Pistons (4 ET, Prime), while Atlanta’s exciting trio of draft picks – Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesar – face Boston (6 ET, Prime).

• Raptors vs. Pacers (4:30 ET, ESPN2)
• Heat vs. Cavaliers (8 ET, Prime)
• Suns vs. Bucks (10 ET, Prime)
• Wolves vs. Blazers (11 ET, ESPN2)

5. SUNDAY STORYLINES: STANDOUT PLAY FROM THE FIRST WEEKEND IN VEGAS

NBA Summer League’s opening weekend in Las Vegas is in the books, and the playing field is starting to take shape.

The future stars of the league are settling into the summer action and starting to leave their mark in their first steps as pros.

Here are some of the standout performers from 2026 NBA Summer League so far, with insights from NBA.com’s Krysten Peek.

AJ Dybantsa, Wizards (No. 1 pick): Averaging 25 ppg in Vegas (2-0), Dybantsa’s 27-point debut tied the mark for most points by a No. 1 pick in their first NBA Summer League game:

“Dybantsa had the dunk of Day 1 and the entire arena erupted when he connected. He was able to get to his spots in the mid-range and defended the perimeter well, grabbing seven boards and forcing two steals while only committing one foul.” | More of Peek’s Day 1 standouts

Darryn Peterson, Jazz (No. 2 pick): Scored 23+ points in each of his four summer games so far.

“Peterson was able to showcase his natural scoring instincts …  he was instrumental in the Jazz’s comeback in the second half [against the Wizards] and finished with 27 points.”

Cameron Boozer, Grizzlies (No. 3 pick): Helped Memphis overcome Caleb Wilson’s explosive debut with strong two-way play (23 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk).

“Boozer matched the physicality of the forwards on the Bulls and was patient as a passer when he caught it on the wing. He was the best player in college basketball this past season and carried that confidence to the Grizzlies.”

Caleb Wilson, Bulls (No. 4 pick): Wilson (5 reb, 3 blk, 2 stl) poured in 35 points (12-21 FGs, 7-11 3PM), the most for any NBA Summer League debut in circuit history.

“Wilson was incredible from start-to-finish … but it wasn’t enough to get the win against Memphis. He scored the first bucket of the game – a 3-pointer at the top of the key – and didn’t look back from there … He was everywhere defensively and even hit tough shots over Boozer.“ | More Day 2 standouts

Labaron Philon Jr., Sixers (No. 22 pick): The only player to make Peek’s standouts list twice in the first three days, Philon has impressed with 42 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals across two games in Vegas.

“Philon had 11 points in 11 minutes to start the game against Detroit and threw a dime to Johni Broome that had his four 76ers teammates sitting courtside rise out of their seats …

“Philon came alive in overtime against Indy and made huge plays down the stretch in the win … His mid-range pull-up jumper was almost unguardable and his footwork off the first step was impressive.”

Lakers – Arthur Kaluma, Cameron Carr (No. 24 pick), and Adou Thiero: L.A. is 2-0 in Vegas after a high-flying display of athleticism Friday from Carr and Thiero, along with returner Kaluma’s Saturday scoring eruption (34 pts, 6 3s, 11-16 FG).

“Carr looked very comfortable on the court. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard is deadly in transition and he had a couple impressive dunks that got the late-night crowd going”

Honorable Mentions: Yaxel Lendeborg, Darius Acuff Jr., Morez Johnson Jr., Egor Dëmin, Liam McNeeley | More

The week ahead in Vegas brings more marquee matchups, building up to the Playoffs tipping off Saturday.

• Tuesday: Dybantsa could face Wilson (back-to-back) in Wizards vs. Bulls. (8 ET, Prime), Boozer takes on Lendeborg (Grizzles-Warriors, 7 ET, ESPN) and No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr. faces No. 7 Acuff Jr. in Kings vs. Nets (6 ET, Prime)
• Wednesday: Dybantsa (back-to-back) could meet No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler in Wizards vs. Clippers (10:30 ET, ESPN)
• Thursday: Carr faces Wilson in Lakers vs. Bulls (6 ET, Prime), and Boozer’s Grizz meet No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings and the Hawks (8 ET, Prime)

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