Зуны лигийн тоглолтууд өндөрлөснөөр 2026 оны драфтын шинэхэн тоглогчид НБА-гийн улирлын тоглолтуудад бэлтгэж эхэллээ.
НБА-гийн зуны лигийн тоглолтууд дуусаж, 2026 оны драфтын шилдгүүд болох Эй Жэй Дибанца, Даррин Петерсон, Кэмерон Бузер, Калеб Уилсон болон Китон Уоглер нар өөрсдийн ур чадвараа харуулж эхэллээ. Ялангуяа Кливленд Кавалерс багийн Мелик Томас зуны лигийн нэгдүгээр багт багтсан хоёрдугаар тойргийн цорын ганц сонголт болсон нь олны анхаарлыг татав. Өнгөрсөн улиралд Купер Флагг, Кон Кнюппел нарын дунд өрнөсөн шилдэг залуу тоглогчийн төлөөх өрсөлдөөн тун ширүүн болсон бол энэ удаагийн шинэхэн тоглогчид ч дутахгүй өрсөлдөөнийг үзүүлэхээр байна.
Вашингтон Уизардс багийн номер нэг сонголт Эй Жэй Дибанца нь зуны лигийн нээлтийн тоглолтод 27 оноо авч, багийнхаа ялалтад гол үүрэг гүйцэтгэсэн юм. Шинжээчид түүнийг туршлагатай тоглогчид болох Энтони Дэвис, Трэй Янг нарын хамт тоглох нь дарамтыг бууруулж, амжилтаа ахиулахад нь тусална гэж үзэж байна. Үүний зэрэгцээ Юта Жазз багийн Даррин Петерсон өөрийн бүтээлч тоглолт, шидэлтийн олон талт чадвараараа шилдэг залуу тоглогчийн шагналд хүчтэй нэр дэвшигч болохоо харууллаа.
Мемфис Гриззлис багийн Кэмерон Бузер болон Чикаго Буллс багийн Калеб Уилсон нар ч багийнхаа гол тоглогч болох бүрэн боломжтойг харуулсан нь статистикийн хувьд өндөр үзүүлэлт үзүүлэх үндэс болж байна. Ялангуяа Уилсон зуны лигт нэг тоглолтод 35 оноо авч, гурван онооны шидэлтийн чадвараа гайхуулсан нь олон хүнийг гайхшруулсан юм. Милуоки Бакс багийн Брэйден Бёррис ч мөн өөрийн хамгаалалт болон довтолгооны хоёр талын тоглолтоор энэ улирлын “хар морь” байх магадлалтай байна.
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With NBA Summer League now in the rearview mirror, a promising 2026 NBA Draft class can officially begin eyeing the regular season.
It’s a class loaded with talented prospects capable of becoming franchise centerpieces. Fans of summer-league play got to see the top-five picks — BYU’s AJ Dybantsa (Washington Wizards), Kansas’ Darryn Peterson (Utah Jazz), Duke’s Cameron Boozer (Memphis Grizzlies), North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson (Chicago Bulls) and Illinois’ Keaton Wagler (LA Clippers) — lead their teams for the first time. Fans also saw players like Arizona’s Brayden Burries (Milwaukee Bucks), Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg (Golden State Warriors) and Arkansas’ Meleek Thomas (Cleveland Cavaliers) put on a show in Las Vegas. (Thomas was the only player drafted in the second round to make the Summer League First Team.)
Of these rookies (and others), who will stand tallest this season? The NBA is coming off a 2025-26 campaign where former Duke roommates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel headlined one of the closest Rookie of the Year races in years. The players were separated by only 26 points. Flagg had 12 more first-place votes than Knueppel.
The race for the upcoming season can be equally close — if not closer. A handful of lottery picks, if they remain healthy, can be in the running for the 2026-27 award. The Athletic asked its NBA writers to name their 2026-27 Rookie of the Year and explain why.
The top pick in the eyes of some
AJ Dybantsa | Washington Wizards | G-F | 6-9, 212 | No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft | BYU
Why AJ Dybantsa is the no. 1 prospect in this year’s NBA Draft
Sam Vecenie
Nick Friedell: Dybantsa is a solid scorer and will get plenty of chances to showcase his offensive skills with the Wizards. He has a chance to help his new team improve quickly and shouldn’t have all the pressure on him early thanks to the veteran presence of Anthony Davis and Trae Young.
Will Guillory: Dybantsa will be a physical force against most forwards from the moment he steps into the league. He will be surrounded by shot creators in Washington who can take the pressure off him early on. If all goes well, Dybantsa has the potential to be a first-year player averaging 15 to 18 points on a Play-In team.
Josh Robbins: Last season, I voted for Knueppel as Rookie of the Year, with Flagg second. Flagg had more points, rebounds, assists and steals per game, but I valued Knueppel’s overall performance more because of his contributions to a 44-win team that reached the Play-In. I see an opportunity for Dybantsa’s Wizards to ascend similarly to the Charlotte Hornets last year.
Jay King: While Boozer is the most ready to impact winning at the start of his career, Dybantsa will fill it up from day one. The No. 1 pick’s relentless scoring will be enough to win a close Rookie of the Year race. But the real winner will be the NBA. This draft class will be one of the best in a long time, with several perennial All-Stars.
Hunter Patterson: I have Dybantsa because winning is applauded in all individual awards in the NBA, and I see the Wizards being more competitive than the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls. I see the 19-year-old being a second or third scoring option on a Wizards team that should be going from 17 wins to playoff contention.
Fred Katz: The logic is simple. He went first overall. He has enough veterans around him that he doesn’t have to carry the offense. He has a chance to look good right off the bat.
In their Las Vegas Summer League openers, AJ Dybantsa had 27 points to lead the Washington Wizards to a 92-88 win over the Utah Jazz. Darryn Peterson had 24 points for the Jazz. (Ryan Stetz / NBAE via Getty Images)
The top pick in the eyes of others
Darryn Peterson | Utah Jazz | G | 6-6, 205 | No. 2 pick | Kansas
Why Darryn Peterson’s best basketball is still ahead of him
Sam Vecenie
Christian Clark: I think there’s more to Peterson’s game than what he showed at Kansas. He didn’t look as athletic in college as he did in high school. I expect him to come out with a chip on his shoulder and prove he’s the best rookie in this class. I also like the fit between Peterson and Keyonte George in Utah’s backcourt.
Jason Quick: Peterson’s combination of confidence, skill and variety to his game made him stand out at NBA Summer League. I didn’t get to see Caleb Wilson play, but Peterson’s ability to create his own shot puts him a notch above what appears to be a bumper class of rookies. Love watching his floater.
Jason Jones: This is not a knock on Dybantsa, but he’s playing with Young and Davis, so he might not have the same opportunities as Peterson, who doesn’t have an established star in the backcourt. I also believe guards have more opportunities to produce big stats early, hence why I’m not going with Wilson or Cam Boozer.
Jon Krawczynski: Peterson was drafted onto a young, up-and-coming team that could make some noise in the West next season. He looked fantastic in summer league, showing a dynamic ability to create shots. If the Jazz are sniffing around the Play-In or more, Peterson will get a lot of attention.
Tony Jones: Peterson will start from day one in Utah, much like Dybantsa and Boozer in their respective cities. Peterson has the best chance to be the one scoring 20 points a night, and he’s the one with the best chance to play meaningful basketball this season. Those factors should ultimately get him the Rookie of the Year nod.
Dan Woike: The bet here is not just on Peterson; it’s on the Jazz, a team that looks primed to make a leap into competitive basketball after losing for years to get a player this talented. They’ll miss Walker Kessler, but there’s enough talent to push for a top-eight seed in the West. If they get there, it’ll be because Peterson is the talent they hope he is.
The reliable son of an All-Star
Cameron Boozer | Memphis Grizzlies | F | 6-8, 253 | No. 3 pick | Duke
Why Cameron Boozer produces and wins at every level
Sam Vecenie
Law Murray: Rookies of the Year need touches and shots. Boozer is capable of putting up quality numbers, and he doesn’t have the kind of point-guard situation, nor another obvious play-finisher teammate, that will demand shots. Those factors mean his output could be greater than his fellow blue-chip draft classmates.
John Hollinger: The No. 1 player on my draft board was also one of the best players at summer league. While Boozer will face considerable competition from Dybantsa and others, he has the advantage of not fighting established stars to be the top option. Dybantsa has to take his turn alongside Young and Davis, while the Grizzlies’ rebuild has Boozer firmly established as the centerpiece.
Eric Koreen: Boozer is smart and polished. I also think the Grizzlies forward has a clear path to putting up numbers. Dybantsa and Peterson could be in semi-competitive situations in which they are blocked a little by veterans. Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey and Norman Powell could limit Wilson’s scoring. The Grizzlies will be all about Boozer.
Mike Vorkunov: I know that Dybantsa and Peterson will get a lot of votes, and all three have talent, but Boozer should have an opportunity that they don’t. Dybantsa and Peterson likely won’t be the top options on their teams this season. Boozer can be the Grizzlies’ leader in points and assists, considering the state of the Memphis roster. Stats win awards, and I think Boozer will have the best numbers.
Cameron Boozer (left) and Caleb Wilson were opponents in the Duke-North Carolina college basketball rivalry. Earlier this month, they competed as rookies in NBA Summer League. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
The (new) high-flyer from UNC
Caleb Wilson | Chicago Bulls | F | 6-10, 215 | No. 4 pick | North Carolina
The mentality that makes Caleb Wilson dangerous
Esfandiar Baraheni
Shakeia Taylor: Maybe it’s recency bias considering summer league just ended, but Wilson made a statement, both in interviews and on the court, about how he plans to show up for the Bulls this coming season. With his impressive 35-point summer debut, I’d say Wilson appears poised to challenge the guys drafted higher for Rookie of the Year.
Eric Nehm: Rookie of the Year is all about numbers, and I think Wilson has the clearest path to putting up the best numbers with the Bulls. With Young and Davis in Washington, and Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in Utah, Dybantsa and Peterson are blocked from putting up the same kind of numbers. Boozer in Memphis is a threat, but I’ll take Wilson.
Jared Weiss: Watching Wilson bury tightly contested movement and pull-up 3s in Vegas completely reshaped the ROY race. We just saw last year how voters favored a higher-output rookie running a team instead of one that fit into a winning context. Wilson has the surroundings in place to do something similar this year, with his potential to be a dangerous three-level scorer.
The dark horse of the bunch
Brayden Burries | Milwaukee Bucks | G | 6-4, 215 | No. 10 pick | Arizona
Why Brayden Burries is built for the modern NBA
Sam Vecenie
Doug Haller: Dybantsa is an easy answer, but I’m going with Burries. The versatile guard had a strong freshman season at Arizona, but his game always seemed better suited for the NBA. He showed as much during summer league. In Milwaukee, he’ll get an opportunity to play a leading role sooner rather than later, and he has a fearlessness that should allow him to thrive.
