НБА-гийн зуны лигт гялалзаж буй залуу тоглогчид

There’s one hard and fast rule when it comes to evaluating player performance at NBA Summer League: it’s only okay to overreact if it strengthens your pre-existing beliefs and narratives. There are worse ways to spend one’s time in Las Vegas than searching for confirmation bias on the frantic courts of summer league.

In reality, the only universally agreed upon summer league truth is that it’s a very bad sign if second and third-year players are struggling as former first-round picks. For everyone else, what happens in Vegas should be taken with a grain of salt yet enjoyed to its fullest because it’s awesome to have NBA basketball back in July even if it’s only JV teams duking it out for a couple weeks.

Summer league is mostly about watching the NBA’s recent draft picks, but it’s always nice when young veterans show they might be taking a leap for the upcoming season. A year ago, Ajay Mitchell was on my too good for summer league list and then proceeded to have a breakout year for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here are the players who look too good to be in Las Vegas this summer.

Will Riley, G, Washington Wizards

Riley measured above 6’8 barefoot at the combine ahead of the 2025 draft, and he’s reportedly gotten even taller since then. Now standing around 6’10, the 20-year-old wing showed off his deep bag of scoring moves with fearless takes to the rim, spot-up threes, and solid rebounding for his position in Las Vegas. Riley is really slippery off the bounce to beat the first line of the defense, and his long strides and extension finishes help him finish at the basket even with his thin frame. His shooting tends to run hot-and-cold, but he has real utility in his three-point shot both off the dribble and on spot-ups, and there’s no doubt he has NBA range on his jumper. Riley is just a really fluid athlete for his size with real shooting upside, and he has the awareness to relocate off the ball to put himself in a better position to score. There are suddenly a lot of mouths to feed in Washington, but Riley seems like a walking bucket who is just starting to scratch his long-term upside.

Jalen Slawson, F, Indiana Pacers

Slawson was a 2023 NCAA tournament hero for helping lead Furman to a first-round upset over Virginia, which helped him get selected No. 54 overall by the Kings. He’s bounced around the G League in his first few years as a pro with only 13 NBA games under his belt, but he’s coming off an excellent season for Pacers’ G League affiliate. Slawson is proving he deserves a real shot at an NBA roster spot with a fantastic showing in summer league that has displayed his downhill athleticism and defensive playmaking as a 6’8 forward. He had five blocks in the SummerPacers’ Vegas opener in a win over the Cavs, then turned up the heat on offense by scoring 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting in Indiana’s next game against the 76ers. Slawson’s defense will have to be his calling card to earn a roster spot, and he has all the tools you need at that end with a strong frame, a near 7-foot wingspan, and good instincts to both play the passing lanes and rotate for supplemental rim protection. Offensively, he’s best when he has a clear lane to the basket as a cutter or in transition. The three-point shot remains his swing skill, but after making 34.5 percent from deep in the G League last year, it’s clear he’s making progress. This summer league run has been another step forward.

Egor Demin, G, Brooklyn Nets

It’s time I fill out an apology form on Egor Demin. Ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, I named Demin one of the most overrated prospects in the class, and gave the Nets a D for his selection at No. 8 overall in my instant grades. My main arguments against Demin were that I didn’t think he could score efficiently inside or outside the arc, and I didn’t think he had the frame to play through contact on either end. Well! Demin massively improved as a shooter as a rookie, going from 27 percent from three and 69 percent from the foul line in college to 38.5 percent from three and 83.1 percent on free throws as a rookie. A year in an NBA strength and conditioning program helped his body quite a bit too, and he continues to show the gains he’s made during summer league. Demin scored 20 or more points in all three of his summer league games this year on 61 percent true shooting. He looks improved attacking the basket off the bounce, and he’s showing he can hit the defensive glass, too. The Nets have done a really good job developing Demin’s frame, and it’s paying off on both ends. Demin deserves a lot of credit himself for putting in the work to improve his jumper. I’m happy to be wrong about this one because Demin is a cool player with a fun skill set who should be a nice piece in Brooklyn’s rebuild for a long time.

Joan Beringer, C, Minnesota Timberwolves

Beringer didn’t play much as a rookie after being the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 draft, but he’s in line for a bigger role this season after the Timberwolves traded away Julius Randle. The 6’11 big man only needed one summer league game to show off his spectacular athleticism and skill set improvements that should have Minnesota fans very excited for his sophomore season. Beringer runs the floor incredibly well for a center, and he has crazy bounce when he gets near the rim. It feels like a lock that he’s going to have a few of the NBA’s most impressive dunks this season, but his shot-blocking will be just as valuable backing up Rudy Gobert. The most surprising thing about his summer league performance might be the development of his handle: he looked comfortable attacking off the dribble far away from the hoop, showing good footwork and enough ball control to get to the basket. The Wolves need some big bodies to help protect Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball this season, and Beringer is showing he can be a contributor.

Tre Johnson, G, Washington Wizards

The Wizards vs. Jazz opener in Las Vegas was hyped as the first meeting between A.J. Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, but Johnson was the best player on the floor. The No. 6 overall pick from the 2025 draft showed what he could do in a high-usage role, splashing shots from deep, attacking off the dribble, and keeping constant pressure on the opposing defense with his gravity. Johnson’s ability to self-create threes off the dribble is going to be huge for his scoring utility as teams load up to stop Dybantsa, Trae Young, and Anthony Davis. If you crowd his dribble, Johnson has the quickness and the handle needed to beat his man to the cup and get the defense rotating. His playmaking and defense still needs some work, but he should take a step up after a decent rookie year in Washington.

Khaman Maluach, C, Phoenix Suns

Maluach essentially got a redshirt in his rookie season in Phoenix, but the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft seems poised for a breakthrough this year. The former Duke center is absolutely gigantic at nearly 7’1 barefoot, 252 pounds, with a nearly 7’7 wingspan and 9’6 standing reach, and he looked like a man amongst boys in summer league. It’s impossible to keep Maluach out of deep post position on offense, and all it takes is a quick turn to the basket for him to be in position to dunk the ball. His length is even more effective on the defensive end, and he looked quicker to the ball with his ground coverage in Las Vegas. The thing that makes Maluach really exciting is his potential to shoot threes, and he continues to take and make them in summer league. His hands and passing are still a question offensively, but Maluach is so big with a rapidly rising skill level that he still has tons of upside for the Suns even after a quiet rookie year.

Cedric Coward, F, Memphis Grizzlies

Coward solidified his meteoric rise from DIII to lottery pick in his first season in the NBA by earning All-Rookie First-Team honors. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 draft is a long (7’2 wingspan) and strong swingman who locks down on the defensive end, shoots an easy ball from three, and adds value as a rebounder. It would have been easy for Coward to skip summer league after such a strong rookie year as a soon-to-be 23-year-old, but instead there he was defending full court, crashing the glass, and trying to add new elements to his game with pull-up threes. Coward feels like the perfect connective tissue between Cameron Boozer and Zach Edey in the Memphis frontcourt, and these early reps playing with Boozer could help jumpstart their chemistry next season. Memphis’ rebuild already looks promising, and Coward is a big part of it.

Maxime Raynaud, C, Sacramento Kings

Raynaud might have been the best second-round pick of last year’s draft, going from the No. 42 overall selection to All-Rookie Second-Team honors for the Sacramento Kings. The Stanford product has a diverse offensive game with impressive post moves inside, an easy shooting stroke from three, and the ability to make plays for teammates in dribble-handoff actions. He should be a true stretch five in time, but he needs to up his volume from behind the arc, and that shouldn’t be a problem after he again showed off his deep touch in Las Vegas. The real questions for Raynaud come on the defensive end, where he’s just not a very strong rim protector. The Kings are going to need to find playmaking defensive wings to insulate Raynaud on that end of the floor, but his offensive game is good enough to demand minutes for a Sacramento team that continues to rebuild.