The 2026 is one of the most hyped up classes of the modern era. While some of the top incoming rookies have already gotten a taste of summer league action in the California Classic or Salt Lake City Summer League, the rest of the best will make their debuts this week in Sin City during the Las Vegas Summer League.
While most of the top rookies will likely only play a handful of games (each team is guaranteed five games in Las Vegas), it should offer a glimpse into why this class is elite. Of course, the most highly anticipated showdown of the event will come on Day 1 when the face the . That game will feature the No. 1 () and 2 () picks squaring off on Thursday.
Peterson and Dybantsa have had a built-in rivalry dating back to high school. They played against each other earlier this calendar year when Kansas faced BYU. Peterson got off to a strong start in that game, recording 19 first-half points, before missing most of the second half due to cramping issues. This game will be the first of many pro meetings between two of the best prospects of the modern era.
Ahead of what should be an exciting 11 days in Las Vegas, here are the top storylines to ponder.
The biggest game of summer league is often the matchup of the top two picks in the draft. That’s most definitely the case here as Dybantsa and the Wizards face Peterson and the Jazz. When the two clashed as high school seniors, Dybantsa and Peterson combined to score over 100 points. It’s why Kansas vs. BYU — despite not even being a top 25 matchup — was one of the most anticipated college basketball games of the year. Kansas went on to win that game and Peterson had a very strong first half while Dybantsa was relatively quiet with 17 points on 6 of 12 shooting.
Peterson made his summer league debut last week in Salt Lake City and put on a show. In his final outing, Peterson finished with 25 points and 12 assists. What makes the latter even more impressive is that Peterson had 38 assists total last season at Kansas. However, if you have been following Peterson’s career, you would know those numbers don’t tell the whole story. He made strides as a passer during his final season at Prolific Prep and didn’t play on-ball as much at Kansas as he did in high school. Dybantsa will be expected to perform at a similarly high level after Peterson’s strong start. It will be the game to watch.
In just his second game, #2 overall pick Darryn Peterson turned heads yesterday!
25 PTS (game-high)
12 AST
2 STL
3 3PM
28 MIN
Utah improves to 2-0 in the Salt Lake City Summer League 👏
The benefit of summer leagues happening outside of Las Vegas is an opportunity to get an early look at some of the best rookies. Multiple lottery picks in this year’s class participated in Salt Lake City and the California Classic. That includes Peterson, , , , , and .
Peterson was the star of that group, but Acuff also put together some solid performances. Flemings recorded nine assists in his first summer league outing, while Lendeborg didn’t miss a shot in his first action since the national title game earlier this spring with Michigan. All of those players are expected to get more minutes for their respective teams in Las Vegas. But because those players played extra summer league minutes, it’s possible they could be shut down before the event is over.
There are several games at this year’s event that will be must-watch TV. Here are the five most important games on the summer league calendar.
Last year, the won the summer league title over the Kings in a thrilling game. That game served as a springboard for good vibes ahead for the Hornets, as the franchise made the play-in after a strong second half to the season. So, who will be the winner this time around?
On paper, Sacramento has a strong roster led by Acuff, former first-round pick and All-Rookie selection . The Kings have the third-best odds (+1000 per Sportbook) to win the event. The Jazz, led by Peterson, are the current favorites (+800), followed by the Grizzlies (+900), Kings and Warriors (+1300),
Every year, some players emerge as potential stars or summer league standouts. Here are five names to keep an eye on in Las Vegas. Included in this list are rookies and players drafted last summer.
