While free agency is not over, things have slowed down after a furious first few days. And now the attention turns to Summer League action, which begins with smaller tournaments in California and Utah this week before the entire NBA meets in Las Vegas on July 9.
Summer League and regular-season play are two entirely different animals, but the action gives fantasy managers a small glimpse into how teams hope to use their rookies. Here are ten players to watch over the next two-plus weeks.
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Between trades and players deciding to stay put, there has not been as much star power in this summer’s free agency window.
The first overall pick in last month’s draft, Dybantsa enters a situation in which he may be able to start immediately. Kyshawn George made noticeable strides in his second NBA season, and 2025 first-round pick Will Riley showed some promise. However, neither boasts a ceiling on par with Dybantsa, who can score on all three levels and do some facilitating. All eyes will be on him in Las Vegas, especially with the Wizards aiming to compete next season with Trae Young and Anthony Davis healthy.
For the time being, the Kings still have DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis on their roster, but it’s clear that the franchise is rebuilding. Acuff, the seventh overall pick in the draft, is a critical piece in that regard. His lone season at Arkansas was outstanding, with the freshman winning SEC Player of the Year and leading the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16. As a scorer and playmaker, Acuff will need to hit the ground running due to the Kings’ lack of a veteran point guard.
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Due to the team’s rebuild, the Grizzlies’ frontcourt will have a much different look this season. Boozer will be among the leaders, likely starting alongside Cedric Coward and Zach Edey, provided the latter is healthy. In his lone season at Duke, Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 three-pointers while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 78.9 percent from the foul line. He’s got an incredibly high floor, and the ceiling can’t be overlooked, either.
With his freshman season at North Carolina cut short by a broken thumb, Wilson’s summer league debut will be his first game action since mid-February. The highly athletic forward won’t get to play alongside Matas Buzelis this month, but that tandem is one the Bulls hope will eventually lead the franchise back to prominence. Fellow first-round pick Dailyn Swain is also worth a watch, but Wilson is the headliner for Chicago this summer.
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5. G Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz
The biggest question regarding Peterson is one that we won’t get the answer to this summer: how does he mesh with point guard Keyonte George? However, fantasy managers should be able to get an idea of how the team views Peterson and Ace Bailey, last year’s lottery pick. Bailey ended last season as a starter, but that may not be a given in 2026-27. With Jaren Jackson Jr. being a better option at power forward than center, Jusuf Nurkić could start with Walker Kessler moving on. As a result, there may be room for only one of Peterson or Bailey in Utah’s starting lineup.
Like Peterson, Brown missed time last season due to health issues, with a back injury sidelining the former Louisville guard for 14 games. He’s available for summer league play, and Brown enters a situation where he could immediately earn the starting point guard role in Brooklyn. None of the three guards the Nets selected in the first round of last year’s draft truly separated themselves as rookies, and one, Nolan Traoré, is not playing this summer due to injury. The Nets are playing in California and Las Vegas, so Brown may not see action in every game, especially coming off the back injury.
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While the Hawks have their starting backcourt of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum, the need for a playmaker is what makes Flemings an intriguing rookie. He may not be the prolific scorer that Trae Young was, but the former Houston standout can score on all three levels and brings the effort on defense. Flemings’ fit in Atlanta appears to be a good one, and his experience playing for a winning program should benefit him and the Hawks as they look to contend in the East.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade signaled the end of an era in Milwaukee, and Ament is one of the key building blocks for the future. The 13th overall pick in last month’s draft, he averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 three-pointers in his lone season at Tennessee. Ament does need to get stronger and become a more efficient scorer, but he should have plenty of room to grow in Milwaukee.
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Johnson went from a player keeping open the possibility of returning to college to the ninth overall pick in the draft. He’s an excellent defender whose offensive production improved after transferring to Michigan for his sophomore season. And while both will have to get used to the NBA game, Johnson being able to play for his college coach (Dusty May) in Dallas may serve the forward/center well during his rookie season. Dallas has some veteran frontcourt players so they won’t have to ask Johnson to do too much too soon, but his defensive ability likely gets him on the floor early.
Even with Moussa Diabaté‘s significant improvement and Ryan Kalkbrenner‘s solid rookie season, the Hornets went into the draft needing to add rebounding production. Enter Steinbach, who led the nation in rebounds per game as a freshman. He’s got excellent hands and finishes well around the basket. While the Hornets did add Naz Reid in the LaMelo Ball trade, Steinbach should not lack opportunities to contribute as a rookie.
